It’s unusual for a young Port Elizabeth-born art student to bag a solo show at WHATIFTHEWORLD, one of Cape Town’s foremost galleries. You have to be special to pull that off, like Lungiswa Gqunta.

In 2012, this feisty and outspoken young woman completed her art studies at Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, before she left for Cape Town to do her post grad diploma and Fine Art masters degree at Michaelis.

We caught up with Lungiswa to tell us more about herself, her art practice, and the meaning behind Qokobe, her solo show at WHATIFTHEWORLD.

When did you know you wanted to become an artist?

It wasn’t one defining moment but rather a natural progression. I grew up surrounded by art, music and fashion. My grandfather, Mike Ngxokolo, was a visual artist and music composer, so it was inevitable really.

How would you describe your work?

As urgent. I try to be as honest to the idea, message or emotion I’m trying to articulate whenever I make work, and right now, more than anything, I would describe my work as unapologetic. I can never predict what kind of work I will be making with each project/idea and that’s both scary and exciting. It is an experience, one that I hope will continue to evolve and progress.

How is your current exhibition, Qokobe, different from The Home of Residue, your Michaelis post grad show?

Apart from the visuals in terms of materials used and the finishing, The Home of Residue was more personal in protecting memory and self in an unfamiliar environment. It is this unfamiliar environment that Qokobe seeks to interrogate with regards to spatial legacies and modes of exclusion through an approach that is more subtle and slightly less personal, but more aggressive in its urgency. The frustrations of how homes were, and still are, structured and placed in townships is something that is further explored in Qokobe; where I look at segregation and the tools that were used to further implement and control this structural form of violence.

In your new show, why did you decide to depart from working in wood, your medium of choice in The Home of Residue?

It wasn’t a conscious decision nor was it a complete departure but more of an inclusion of other materials that could better visually articulate the concept. Wood is my starting point when I think of how to make a structure or an object but ultimately the work chooses its own materials in a way. It’s a very fluid process, hence in the beginning I mentioned that I never really know what my next body of work will look like.

Tell us more about the title, Qokobe.

iQokobe is loosely translated to mean an empty container, a shell in isiXhosa, but my immediate association with iQokobe is an empty matchbox. I’m sure you are familiar with the term “matchbox houses” which was used to describe the houses built in the townships, and so I am speaking of these empty houses we were forced to occupy and call home. Furthermore, a matchbox is a key tool in creating a weapon such as a petrol bomb, and to me iQokobe in that sense would mean we have been fighting this fight, we have been protesting for basic human rights (emhlabeni wethu phof – on our land). It’s a sign of endurance and persistence in a way and so it made perfect sense that iQokobe be the title.

What does being an artist mean to you?

It means I have another way of dealing with this thing called life, it’s a form of self medication that I can indulge in really. Then again, it means I am baring my emotions and intellectual capacity for people to comment on, but it’s all part of the game.

What does it take a young artist to make a living out of his/her work today?

When I find the answer to that magic formula I will share it with you and the world but until then it’s a matter of trial and error.

What is important to you?

To remain Lungi through it all. To not be changed easily by people and experiences but to be critical and continue to trust in myself and the decisions I make ’cause people will show you flames out here. Furthermore, I want to continue learning and making, and hopefully all that will result in work that challenges itself and continues to get better and crazier in every way.

What’s next?

Work, work, work, work, work, work! More experiments and experiences that challenge and engage everything I find messed up in this life. I guess we’ll all see at the same time what’s next because I sure as hell can’t predict the future, but I can tell you one thing I’m sure of… it’s going to be lit!

Qokobe is on at WHATIFTHEWORLD until 8 October 2016.

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Madoda Fani’s clay pots can move people to tears – literally! Once, an American buyer of two of his works started to cry when one broke. Maybe she knew just how busy this Cape Town-born, Jozi-based ceramicist is and how long it takes him to craft and painstakingly decorate each pot in his signature style.

As if that’s not enough of a workload, Madoda also facilitates workshops for the Light from Africa Foundation and takes part in exhibitions like the Joburg Art Fair, 100 % Design South Africa and Design Miami.

We simply had to find out more about the man whose pots have collectors around the globe queuing.

How did you get into ceramics?

After I finished school I worked as a painter of ceramics at the Potter’s Shop in Cape Town. Later, I entered a few exhibitions, and when people started appreciating my work, ceramics became my passion.

What inspires you?

Nature. I love plants, insects and animals. The shapes I see in everything around me also inspire me.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

In 2000, I was invited to Le Salon International de l’Artisanat de Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, where I was awarded second prize for one of my works. I haven’t looked back since.

What are you working on now?

A new range of modern vessels inspired by traditional beer pots.

What makes your work special?

The amount of time I spend crafting each pot. They are carefully decorated, each detail carved by hand from start to finish.

Do you have a dream?

Yes! I would love to create work for young people from various backgrounds and be a role model.

Prices range from R4 500 for a small (37–40 cm) pot to R10 000 for a medium-sized (47–50 cm) pot.

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When three celebrated ceramic artists put together a special exhibition, Collect and Connect in Constantia’s Art in the Forest, even the hares came out to play.

She may live in the far-away Karoo dorp of Nieu-Bethesda, but Charmaine Haines’s world-renowned ceramics often sell faster than hot cakes, and her husband Martin’s quirky clay hares have the habit of hopping straight out of the studio door while he’s fixing the last whisker.

Then there’s their friend and fellow ceramicist Anthony Shapiro, who hardly has time to throw his famously beautiful bowls because he’s too busy running the Art in the Forest Centre in Constantia’s Cecilia Forest: a social business enterprise presenting pottery classes and exhibitions, as well as producing its own range.

So, how to inspire these ceramic luminaries to make more work? Well, with Antony’s 50th birthday looming, he thought why not organise a big celebratory exhibition at the Art in the Forest gallery?

And that’s exactly what he did. He got Charmaine and Martin on board, and soon everybody started working towards a special show he called Collect and Connect.

Charmaine made more of her famous figurative vessels, sculptural works and plates, embellished with some of her signature designs: fish, birds and portraits.

Martin crafted more of his strangely charming rustic hares, decorating them with a combination of 17th-century motifs and contemporary designs.

In the meantime, Anthony put on his Zen hat and threw together the most beautiful bowls, and the Art in the Forest team of artists helped to produce a new ceramics range that they called the Forestware collection.

Their beautiful works are on show right now until 31 January 2016, so hurry up before the plates and bowls hop along out of the door, hot on the heels of those hares.

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Tucked away in a Woodstock street, newly renovated Sussex Studios is where a globetrotting furniture buyer bought her first home: an airy loft apartment with million-dollar views.

You think you’re lost when you turn into Sussex Street on your way to visit @home furniture buyer Lize Viljoen in Woodstock. The buildings lining the narrow street are either derelict or seem abandoned, and a couple of scrappy cars hug the pavement.

As you stop to double-check directions on your phone, your eye catches a bright, renovated building a little further along named Sussex Studios. It’s then you realise you’re in the middle of another neglected Woodstock pocket undergoing gentrification, where industrial renovations become homes and businesses for creative urbanites.

Just like Sussex Studios, a 51-year-old building that was a panel-beating shop and factory before architect Etienne Britz of Boukuns Architecture & Design turned it into 19 apartments. Lize bought one of these in September 2014, her very first home.

“I love living here,” she says, leading the way to her apartment along the bright passage with large windows at both ends. “It’s central and I can walk to The Old Biscuit Mill market on a Saturday. The ground floor is for parking only, which makes it very secure.” She laughs. “Some people are shocked when I tell them where I live.”

Hers is a 74 m² apartment on the top floor with a huge loft space, so big she could have a mezzanine added for a bedroom, walk-in closet and study – increasing the floor space to 104 m².

“The ceiling slants in such a way that there was ample space for a mezzanine level,” says Lize.

With a buying career that takes her to the Far East, India, Europe and America, Lize has a sharp eye for spotting the latest in world furniture trends and developing them for the local market. When she gets home, however, she likes to be surrounded by stuff she loves. Old and new things.

Some of these things Lize fixed up herself, like her grandmother’s ball-and-claw dining table, which she sanded down. And some items were made up just the way she wanted, such as her two wooden kitchen shelving units, crafted by “the best informal carpenters in Woodstock”.

When it comes to her home, Lize knows exactly what she wants, where she wants it and what it should look like. Ask her father. Lize laughs. “My dad thinks I am the most stubborn person he knows! I insisted that the living room curtains stretch all the way from the ceiling to the floor, and all the way across too. Which meant he had to drill a hole right through a metal beam in the centre of the room to feed the rod through. It took him most of the day.”

With drops of sheer linen curtains now wafting in the breeze coming through large open windows, one catches glimpses of magnificent city and mountain views, and hears the beautiful noise of urban life outside, the shabbiness of Sussex Street below forgotten for now.

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Talented young visual artist Adriaan Diedericks has been impressing people here and abroad with his sculptures.

After a chance meeting with local artist Adriaan Diedericks, VISI deputy editor Annemarie Meintjes was captivated. And with good reason: This 24-year-old Stellenbosch University art graduate is one to watch. He tells us more about himself and his work.

Why art?

Growing up in rural Piketberg, I loved playing with wood and stones, which I think cultivated my interest in three-dimensional forms. During my first year as a graphic design student I decided to change to fine art, and I haven’t looked back.

What did you do after graduating?

I started an apprenticeship under Lionel Smit in 2013 and took part in group exhibitions. This year, I went solo.

Who inspires you?

I have always been fascinated by the old masters who were able to work realistically, such as Rodin and Michelangelo. They inspire me to push my boundaries.

What are your greatest accomplishments to date?

I am especially proud that my first work at university – a 2,2 m-tall plastic-and-steel horse – became a public sculpture in Jan Marais Park in Stellenbosch. I am also proud of the fact that in 2014 I was invited to participate in Art Cologne in Germany, the second-largest art fair in the world.

What makes your work special?

It’s honest and raw; it relies on itself to hold ground rather than a deeper concept. I work in wood and bronze and subvert the medium, toying with the viewer’s perception.

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We survey the latest in office trends with Dauphin’s luxurious new office range, which brings some of the creature comforts of home into the workspace.

Blame it on the tech revolution creating new ways of working or businesses wanting to promote staff wellbeing… Whatever the reason, it means leading office furniture designers such as the Dauphin Human Design® Group are always sleeping with their thinking caps on to stay ahead of the game.

Recently, sitting has been vilified as the new smoking. Enter Dauphin’s new booth-like Bosse standing desk. This workstation with height-adjustable chrome legs and colourful upholstered panels for privacy gives office peeps the option to stand or sit while working. It’s good for your health, say the Dauphin experts, who ensure ergonomics is at the heart of all their designs.

Dauphin’s Atelier booth, perfect for a short retreat from the hubbub, looks super snazzy in its zesty jacket; and the leather-upholstered 4+ Relax chair lends the office space a touch of homely luxury. “With the lines between home and work increasingly blurred, people want their work environment to emulate the feelings and comfort of home,” says Dauphin marketing director Cherine Leishman.

And if hip is your preferred office style, Dauphin’s bright Aspetta range is the way to go. What’s not to love about a lounge stool that swivels 360 degrees? Imagine the fun to be had – just mind the boss isn’t looking!

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A dilapidated warehouse in Cape Town’s Church Street has been turned into a gorgeous art gallery, Smith Studio – which opened its doors with a solo exhibition by Kurt Pio.

It is a dream come true for two Mother City friends and business partners: Not only have Candace Marshall-Smith and Amy Ellenbogen turned their love for art into a business by launching their very own art gallery, Smith Studio, but they have also given a 250-year-old double-storey warehouse a fabulous new lease on life.

Candace is the first to admit it was quite a journey to get where they are. A photographer, avid art collector and business whizz with an accounting back-ground, she knew the old pakhuis in Cape Town’s Church Street would be in need of very special attention. Not to mention vision.

After buying it on auction with her husband William and business partner Andrew Bonamour, Candace immediately called her friend Amy, an art history graduate fresh from a curating stint in Edinburgh, to partner with her as the gallery’s curator. So Smith Studio was born, the name referring to Candace’s surname as well as to a crafter, a maker of things. Smith is also a common surname, easily attachable to other names like exhibitions and artists’ names without stealing the show.

Next, they called in the experts to help reimagine their long, narrow space. And who else but heritage specialists Gawie and Gwen Fagan would ensure every little bit of the building’s history is honoured and restored to its former glory? Architects Reanne Urbain and Alex McGee gave it all a fresh and contemporary polish-up.

“We wanted the best of both worlds,” says Candace: “amazing art by new and established local artists as well as a beautiful destination gallery.”

Something Amy is especially mad about is the restored glass-front doorway, which is large enough to let in not only a car but also the First Thursdays art-loving crowd once a month.

“I look forward to all the possibilities the door presents,” says Amy: “Imagine large functions or exhibition openings stretching out of the door and onto the cobbled street.”

When Amy’s not dreaming of Smith Studio’s future ventures, her scouting eye is on the lookout for new talent. Once she’s set her sights on an artist, it’s a matter of guidance and support before they work towards a show together.

“Many artists have a background in illustration and want to move forward, try different mediums, change certain styles or simply grow. That’s where I come in,” says Amy.

And the upstairs area with its lovely light and sash windows? “It’s offices now, but our dream is that it will eventually become an exhibition space,” says Candace.

At the rate this duo is making dreams come true, it’s just a matter of time.

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In 2008, Ashleigh Olsen gave up her environmental science career to become a full-time wildlife artist. Her emotive drawings, paintings and photography have won her many accolades, yet she tirelessly continues with her conservation efforts. Awed by her lovely work, we sat her down.

What did you want to be as a child?

A game ranger or nature conservationist; my heroines were Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey.

What did you grow up to be?

My degree was in environmental science, but after only a few years as an environmental consultant I decided to pursue a career as a professional artist.

Where do you live and why?

I moved to Simon’s Town from Uganda four years ago. I chose Simon’s Town because I had missed the ocean so much.

What do you see through your window first thing in the morning?

I live in an old Victorian house with beautiful sash windows, so I see my veggie garden and bird bath.

What inspires you?

I love to travel to wildlife areas in Africa, where I gather reference material and get inspiration for my artworks.

What makes your work special?

I feel my work conveys the magic of nature and Africa. Through my work, I try to connect people to nature and provide a space for stillness and reflection.

For more information, visit ashleigholsen.com.

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A pert little holiday home is the newest addition to Rosendal’s mostly 50s architectural landscape, and it’s special. Not only because it won a regional architecture award, but also because it revives happy childhood memories for its owner.

Among flailing fields of grasslands, grazing sheep and the blue koppies of Rosendal, perches Ian Westmore’s new holiday home. Designed by a longtime friend of the family, architect Carmen Dickens, whose original and unconventional design approach he’d always admired,  the house recently won a regional award from the Free State Institute of Architecture.

There could be many reasons for the achievement, including Carmen’s eco-friendly design approach and her way of unifying the separate outside sections using decks, but it could also be because she likes to keep city-slick design far away from what she defines as truly South African country style – like thinking the main bedroom should be en-suite bathroom-free, because a bathroom out of the bedroom is just a little too suburban for her.

But let’s go back to the beginning, back to 2007, when Ian bought the property, and there was only a small and derelict landmark building to talk of, and lots of reminiscing. “I had pleasant memories of my childhood spent in these surrounds,” he says. “The association of a ‘happy place’ was natural, and the decision to build a weekend holiday home was almost immediate.”

It took five years of dreaming and frequent visits to Rosendal to get the project on the road, and when it got going, it was rural style − things took their good old time. That wasn’t all bad, because by then Ian knew what he wanted in a holiday home: simplicity, easy maintenance, and that worse-for-wear little building preserved and incorporated into the design – never mind views from the north to the south, without the house getting in the way of the lovely landscape. Oh, and budget – that was another little niggle.

Carmen got Philip Nel from Inizio Homes on board, who is known for his lightweight constructions and prototype home developments, and soon the show was on the road. The original little brick building got its roof lifted and became the main bedroom, but without the en-suite bathroom. Carmen explains: “I wanted the bedroom to be a quiet sanctuary, disassociated from most activities, and I made the entrance into the luxurious bath and dressing room from the glass passage. This also connects the bedroom with the large open-plan living space.”

In contrast to the original building, the bulk of the house consists of a steel structure and fibre cement and is partly covered with metal cladding. The glass doors let in the green outside and provide warmth and character, echoed by the mix of heirloom furniture and custom-made fittings in the living space.

The second bedroom (this one did get an en-suite bathroom!) sits separately from the house, complete with its own entrance, but cleverly integrated into the main house facade by a large slatted screen.

There could be many reasons this little house won that award, but maybe Ian will agree, the most important thing is that it’s the perfect place to make more memories. Isn’t that what life’s all about?

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There’s a new bunch of working humans who are mutating as fast as technology is setting them free from old-school ideas about where and how to work. Coalesse, a US furniture brand that has hit local shores, calls them the creative class and is addressing their needs for wanting to work wherever the mood strikes, one designer furniture piece at a time.  

The Coalesse team has done extensive research about the furniture requirements among this new set, which includes freelancers, working parents and other creatives who run their offices in cafés, hotels, libraries and co-working offices. The company’s president, Lew Epstein, explains: “Our name, Coalesse, means ‘coming together’. We create a direct link between the work environment and lifestyle. Our products are developed to inspire people to work in this new way, wherever they may choose.”

With fab pieces such as Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola’s Hosu convertible work lounge with its handy lumbar pillow, American industrial designer Stephan Copeland’s Free Stand foldable and portable table, and French architect and designer Jean-Marie Massaud’s swivel lounge chair now available here, we say it’s high time to give that old office chair the boot. 

For more information, visit inspirationoffice.co.za

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