Ricky and Lesley Aylward

PHOTOS: Sean Calitz, Greg Cox | PRODUCTION: Fernando April | WORDS: Mirelle Leyden, Mandy Allen

These brothers-in-design put the fun into functional with their deliciously surreal, collectable pieces.

Some of our favourite design duos are related: Fernando and Humberto Campana of Brazil, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec of France, Wilbur and Orville Wright of the USA… and, more recently, Ricky (left) and Lesley (right) Aylward.

The name of their company, Murg (which translates as ‘bone marrow’ from the Afrikaans), hints at the offbeat – and distinctly South African – nature of their work, which ranges from furniture to one-off artworks and everything in between.

Quirky is a word that easily defines their style, but at the heart of each design is artistic innovation and excellent craftsmanship. After experimenting with many mediums – including animation, photography and metalwork – they were thrilled when ‘Dad’ recruited them to help run the wood workshop in his Bredasdorp (in the Western Cape) furniture company.

‘We jumped at the chance to learn about a new medium,’ says Lesley, but adds: ‘we got on my dad’s nerves so much that he gracefully stepped down, allowing us to take over the show.’

At the moment, nature provides both the inspiration and raw material for their work – a recycling philosophy we’re particularly partial to. In their hands, a pair of buffalo horns becomes a hat stand, and a sheep skull morphs into a surreal sculpture complete with wooden bunny ears and buck teeth.

And while the brothers could never be called conventional, they’re also focused on functional furniture.

Ricky: 082 055 8930, Lesley: 072 397 4335, or Wallflower for selected items: 021 434 8265