From locally made face masks and an illustration by Jade Klara for vida e caffè to new Le Creuset planter sets and free online art courses through MoMA, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 330.

1. Jade Klara Illustration and ELLO Mural

Local artist Jade Klara was asked to illustrate a beach scene for vida e caffè on the Camps Bay strip in Cape Town, which was then interpreted and translated into a hand-painted mural by ELLO. The fun mural includes surfers, ice creams, sandcastles, crabs and dogs wearing pants!

Images courtesy of Jade Klara

2. Local Face Masks

Regulations state that any outside endeavours require wearing a face mask. Here are just a few options for you to keep in mind, all of which will help to support local businesses.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_H5LiAJgdm/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_VKN99p-SF/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_VjOyrjtFX/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_mcbysJaE7/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-1o03ap4SW/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_kFYLtp_Cu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Images via @thewrendesign, @mungodesign, @zanaproducts, @margot_molyneux, @miamelange, @ballo.co.za

3. Le Creuset’s Set of 3 Herb Planters

Le Creuset has released a brand-new 3-part planter set, perfect for your kitchen or bedroom windowsill. Available in four shades, the 11 cm planters are the perfect homes for your favourite herbs, flowers or succulents.

Images courtesy of Le Creuset

4. Sarch Designs

Cape Town-based architect and illustrator @sarchdesigns created a series of drawings during the initial lockdown phase, depicting snippets from nature and special places around the city of Cape Town. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_UJ1v9JKPf/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_RqZq0p_x-/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_O_bFHJ3cW/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_J_bBjJytB/

Images via @sarchdesigns

2. MoMA’s Free Online Art Course

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is making online courses accessible to the public through Coursera. Each course has invaluable information from artists, designers and curators and give some insight into MoMA’s collections and exhibitions. Courses available include “Fashion as Design”, “Seeing Through Photographs”, “In The Studio: Abstract Post-war Painting”, “Modern Art and Ideas”, and “What Is Contemporary Art?”. The idea is for you to complete the courses at your own pace. Click here for the full course outlines.

Videos via The Museum of Modern Art on YouTube

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 330 on picks of the week 357.

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Sneaker and streetwear store Shelflife continues its collaborative Artist Tee Series in 2019, with two talented designers on the roster so far.

While the series kicked off late last year with tees created by handpoke tattoo artist and illustrator Ninjabreadboy and artist and designer Kim van Vuuren, this year’s editions began with graphic designer, illustrator and art director Mpumelelo Bhengu and artist and designer Jade Klara.

Each artist is briefed to reimagine the letter S (for Shelflife).

“I dig cartoons, mascots, mascot logos, mascot characters, etc and I wanted to incorporate that into my concept,” says Mpumelelo. “I made the tail of the tiger curve into the S letter and I think it complements the pose, the swagger of the tiger. The baseball uniform and bright orange embodies some street culture swagger too.”

Mpumelelo Bhengu

Jade decided to make use of a crocodile in her design. “I liked the way crocodiles curve to make the S shape,” she says. “I thought about a concept that disrupts the symbiotic relationship they have with those little plover birds that clean their teeth. We get in the way of everything.”

Jade Klara

The tees, which are available to purchase online and in store, retail at R499 each.

For more information about the series and to shop online, visit shelflife.co.za.

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Headed up by local artist and illustrator Jade Klara, Cape Town-based studio Best Friend Goods is behind a range of artist-edition organic cotton towels.

“Best Friend Goods is about creating items that you keep forever, like a best friend,” says Jade, who plans on doing a series of collaborative towel designs with artists, all launched in small runs.

The current run features a Jade Klara design entitled “Go Getter” that is available in three colours, namely Waves, Violet Ghost and Skeleton Coast.

It was a love for traditional Turkish towels that was the inspiration for the creation of the brand. “They’re so soft, light and versatile,” says Jade. Manufactured by a small, family-run business in Göreme, Turkey, the towels, which measure 1 000 mm x 1 800 mm, are made using 100% organic cotton and the designs are all hand-loomed.

Contact Best Friend Goods on Instagram and Facebook to order. The towels, which retail for R695 each, are also available from The Strangers Club in Green Point, Cape Town.

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MRP has collaborated with six South African artists on a limited edition range of tees as part of a new PROJECT collection.

The range features original illustrations created by artists Lorenzo Plaatjies, Jade Klara, Kobie Nieuwoudt, Maaike Bakker, Sebastian Quevauvilliers and Nanna Venter.

Lorenzo’s illustration is designed to look like an unfinished Italian painting from the 1800s, while Jade’s simple, graphic tee, made up of primary colours, aims to make the wearer feel good. Nanna’s design symbolises self-determination, while Kobie wants people to interpret her design for themselves, whether the collage be viewed as humourous or mysterious. Maaike’s ’90s-inspired illustration aims to be light-hearted and playful, while Sebastian’s design aims to deal with false perceptions. “I decided to focus on the emotion in the eyes, showing there’s more to the tiger than its savagery,” he explains.

The range launched in store and online on 16 October 2017. The tees retail at R89.99 each. Visit mrp.com to shop online.

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If you’ve lived in Cape Town for some time, we’re almost certain you’ve come across illustrator Jade Klara’s cartoon tigers, whimsical wizard dogs, Tjing Tjing anime babes or playful pun prints on RVCA T-shirts – just to name a few.

Here, we catch up with this talented designer and illustrator to find out more about collaborating, inspirations and career highlights.

You recently took part in The Powerpuff Girls Art Factory, which saw 10 South African artists recreate the famed female cartoon characters with an African twist, in support of Rock Girl SA. What is your stance on Rock Girl SA’s initiative to reduce violence against women and girls through the creation of safe spaces and how did you feel being asked to be a contributor?

I am incredibly honoured to have been a part of the initiative. I have all the respect in the world for Rock Girl SA and the work they do. It’s so important to have a safe space that is a source of strength and empowerment for young women.

What kind of narrative were you hoping to convey through the depiction of your Powerpuff Girl?

I wanted my character to quietly imbue strength, smarts and self-confidence and be a part of our local narrative.

You’ve done some amazing collaborations. Do you have a favourite?

I’m really fond of my Forever a Bone collaboration with RVCA for Halloween last year. We did a range with apparel, pins and temporary tattoos. It got a great response and I loved bumping into strangers with tigers and wizard dogs stuck all over them.

Who inspires you?

People who are kind and honest inspire me. Coming into contact with people who live their life truthfully with compassion and strength gives me faith in the world and that’s inspiring. Small things have wide reach.

If you could collaborate with any South African artist who would it be?

I love doing collaborations and I’ve had the honour of collaborating with some incredibly talented artists. I think I would like to collaborate with someone working in a different discipline, like sculpture or murals because then you really get to learn and push yourself.

Highlight of your career?

I’ve had milestones I’m proud of, from exhibiting with amazing galleries and artists to receiving awards for my illustration work, but if I were to choose one it would be the first exhibition of my career in London. I think that set the tone of where I wanted to take my work, even if I’m on a different path now to when I started, but I think that’s important, too.

What’s next for you?

I am beyond excited about our group show Ao at Salon 91 Gallery with Dani Loureiro, Black Koki and Tahiti Pehrson in September. Other than that, lots of drawing and hopefully another bunch of magical labrador tattoos.

To see more of Jade’s work, visit her website and follow her on Instagram.

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As you may have read in our SPRINGLOADED VISI 68, Lauren Beukes staged a charity art show in aid of Rape Crisis, following the success of her book The Shining Girls. With all the works snapped up in 20 minutes, VISI felt that the exhibition needed to be shared with far more people, as well as a place to live together and so we have coordinated this online extension. Lauren also shared her thoughts with us:

You know what they say about a picture being worth a thousand words; in this case the exchange rate worked out about one to one. My 90 000 word novel, The Shining Girls, translated into R95 000 raised for Rape Crisis in 20-minutes flat through the sales of original artworks created by major local talents on a page ripped from the book. 

I dreamed up the idea, in keeping with the charity art projects I’ve done to tie in with all my novels, but never on this scale. The show was curated by Jacki Lang who wrangled 67 artists, from Zapiro to Conrad Botes and Sindiso Nyoni to street artists like DalEast and Faith47, as well as designers, illustrators and even jewellers, Philippa Green and Ida Elsje; found us a gallery space at the Cape Town School of Photography; and organised sponsorship from Pick’n’Pay, Genevieve MCC and Carola Koblitz to cover the niggly hard costs.

The final show featured 95 original artworks donated by the artists that ranged from the most simplistic, like Cameron Platter’s Fuck Rape, to elaborate craftsmanship that engaged directly with the book, like Willeen le Roux’s keyhole light box or Jesse Breytenbach’s laser-cut three dimensional butterflies.  

Every work was democratically priced at R1 000 each, whether by a major artist or a young up-and-coming to ensure that the artwork was accessible to all. Buyers were also restricted to one purchase only, which meant that people started queuing up two hours before the exhibition opened and when we finally opened the doors, the line snaked down four flights of stairs!

It was a beautiful thing and a poignant reminder, for me, that it’s good to get angry about the terrible things that happen in the world, it’s good to voice that anger, in a novel or a tweet and we can also take action. 

Rape Crisis requires R8-million a year to run. Last year, they got R46 000 from private donors. This year, they’ve had people donate R800 000, moved by the relentless news stories of horrific violence against women that have come up through 2013. You can make a difference. If you missed the exhibition, you can donate to Rape Crisis or join The Thousand Hearts Campaign  for a R100 a month to support the difficult and vital work they do.

The first part of the exhibition showing in the gallery above includes work by Claudette Schreuders, Brett Murray, Conrad Botes, Ed Young, Adam Hill, Alex Hamilton, Beth Diane Armstrong, Daniel Ting Chong, Gabrielle Graaff, Black Koki, Ello, Helen Pritchard, Brandt Botes, Alex Latimer, Faith47, DALeast, Chad Rossouw, David Brits, Frank van Reenen, Emma Cook, Galia Gluckman, Jade Klara, Gerhard Human, Jordan Metcalf, Hannelie Taute, Gemma Orkin, Joey Hi-Fi, Heath Nash, Gareth Owen, Jesse Breytenbach and Cathy Abraham.

Browse Part 2 of The Shining Girls online exhibition here.

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