WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Gina Dionisio; Cape Town Furniture Week / Hannah St Clair 

A totemic field is not merely a collection of objects but a charged system organised around symbols that carry presence and gravity. Meaning emerges through proximity, repetition, and exchange. In The Totemic Field – a collaborative exhibition by Joburg-based furniture designers Mash.T Design Studio, TheUrbanative, and multidisciplinary design studio Hoven – these ideas found compelling material expression.

Curated by Nisha van Hoven, the showcase was an artful exploration of the contemporary totemic – where waste, error, and experimentation are not by-products of design but generative forces, producing functional forms that quietly hold collective meaning. “They are definitely not static objects, they are very much adaptive systems. So you will see part lamp, part structure, part object. They refuse fixed identities,” says Nisha.

Featuring new pieces and prototypes, the exhibition positioned modularity not only as a functional strategy but also as a philosophy grounded in circularity, collaboration, and expressive African design. Each piece became a vessel of memory and intention, shaped by material, labour, and the many hands involved in its making.

For Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio, the showcase highlighted the brand’s continued journey of generational artisanship, collaboration, and learning. “This story revolves around our metal spinner, Grandpa Jackson. We asked him to teach one of our young artists how to spin. And so this is the result of a year-long apprenticeship,” she says, pointing to the prototypes.

As the apprentice worked towards mastering the spinning process – a technique that resulted in the new Axis Collection – many components naturally didn’t make the cut. These were assembled into imperfect prototypes, such as the Mad Hatter, a standing lamp that embraces the imperfections of its materials, revealing a new aesthetic in which waste tells a story.

Mpho Vackier, founder and designer of TheUrbanative, presented new and reimagined pieces from the African Crowns, Homecoming, and Ndebele collections. “We wanted to push the materials and push ourselves,” she says. Among the pieces on display was the Fula Chair, upholstered in Mungo double-cloth fabric with a blue-stained natural ash seat – a progression from the Fulani Chair. “This chair has lived many, many lives. I think there are five versions. It was first made in steel, then charred red oak, and now we’ve revisited it in colour,” explains Mpho.

Crafted from solid kiaat and stained a deep rosewood, the Phondo Mirror is another addition to the 2018 African Crowns Collection. “This piece is exciting for us because we are known for working in steel, not timber,” says Mpho. “As novices in timber work, we wanted to push ourselves to see if we could integrate the things that we’ve learned from metalworking into working in timber.”

Each piece on display in The Totemic Field reflected the fluid and negotiated nature of contemporary making and collective life. Through time, labour, and exchange, the exhibition revealed the totemic field not as a fixed object to be observed, but as a living practice shaped collectively. mashtdesignstudio.com | theurbanative.com | hoven.co.za

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Mash.T Design Studio introduces the latest addition to their lighting range – the biomimicry-inspired Ilala Palm lighting collection.

Inspired by the intricate structure of bird nests, Mash.T Design Studio‘s new lighting range, the Ilala Palm lighting collection, is as aesthetically pleasing as it is environmentally responsible.

The Ilala palm, native to Northern KwaZulu-Natal, is a versatile and sustainable material traditionally used by the Zulu people. The fronds of the Ilala palm are harvested and dyed using local vegetation and specific tree barks, resulting in a variety of stunning natural colours. This process not only highlights the beauty of the natural fibres but also supports the preservation of traditional dyeing techniques. This tradition underscores the historical importance of sustainable practices and the ingenuity of using natural materials for everyday needs and underscores Mash.T Design Studio’s commitment to sustainability.

“Our Ilala Palm lighting collection is just one example of how we can create beautiful, functional products that respect and honour the natural world.”

The Mash.T team

The brand has long believed in the power of collaboration and the importance of preserving traditional crafts. By working with master weavers from across South Africa, particularly in KZN, Mash.T Design Studio taps into generational knowledge and craftsmanship that has been passed down through the ages.

To not only conserve natural resources but also create unique, high-quality products that are beautiful and sustainable, many studios like Mash.T Design Studio are starting to repurpose materials and incorporate natural fibres to minimise their environmental footprint. | mashtdesignstudio.com

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Thabisa Mjo, Creative Director of Mash.T Design Studio, recently participated in the esteemed Dolce & Gabbana Next Generation Programme during Milan Design Week 2024.

For the second consecutive year, Dolce & Gabbana presented eleven international designers during Milan Design Week 2024 as part of their Gen D – Designer Generation initiative. Handpicked from various countries, these designers under 40, including Thabisa Mjo, converged in Milan to celebrate cultural diversity through the universal language of design. Drawing inspiration from their native countries, they collaborated with Italian artisans to create a mosaic of styles that transcends traditions and continents.

Thabisa’s selection for the Dolce & Gabbana Next Generation Programme underscores her talent and unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of African design.

Through her creations for Dolce & Gabbana, she captured the essence of traditional South African women’s attire, often worn during events of great significance. Seamlessly blending elements of the fashion house’s Alta Moda, she achieved a harmonious fusion of cultural heritage and high fashion, showcasing the richness of both worlds.

This isn’t the first time Mash.T Design Studio has made waves on the international design scene. The studio’s Tutu 2.0 light, a woven and beaded pendant lampshade inspired by the xibelani skirts worn by Xitsonga women, was acquired by the Louvre Museum in Paris for its permanent collection. The light, which was voted the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa in 2018, has since been installed in restaurants all over the world. | mashtdesignstudio.com

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The Joburg-based spiritual home of Nando’s recently underwent a spectacular, proudly South African update.

We’ve become accustomed to Nando’s restaurants displaying contemporary South African design (and art). In just over a decade, this homegrown chicken brand has become synonymous with promoting local designers, and is proof that big business can – and should – do just that.

“The brand has always celebrated South African creativity in all forms, including advertising, art, music and design,” explains Nando’s South Africa’s director of property, development and sustainability Michael Spinks. “In a growing economy like ours, we need to create demand to stimulate these sectors and generate opportunities for young creatives. A global business such as Nando’s creates demand through its operations that can be steered towards impact for others.”

The spiritual heart of the business, Nando’s Central Kitchen (or CK), in Joburg’s Lorentzville is the ultimate example. Recently updated, it showcases the best pieces and projects that the team – under the leadership of Nando’s design curator and Clout/SA creative director Tracy Lynch – has championed over the years. The refresh, like ours, we need to create demand to stimulate these sectors and generate opportunities for young creatives. A global business such as Nando’s creates demand through its operations that can be steered towards impact for others.”

The spiritual heart of the business, Nando’s Central Kitchen (or CK), in Joburg’s Lorentzville is the ultimate example. Recently updated, it showcases the best pieces and projects that the team – under the leadership of Nando’s design curator and Clout/SA creative director Tracy Lynch – has championed over the years. The refresh, implemented by Acre Studio, aimed to draw people back after Covid, and reimagine slightly tired elements. It was also a massive opportunity.

“One of the best things about doing the refurb was being able to include young designers’ pieces,” says Tracy. “When CK was originally created, our Hot Young Designers (HYD) competition didn’t exist. In fact, we evolved the project to seek out emerging black designers in particular. We want to create opportunities for the next generation.”

The competition has introduced the likes of Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio, and Nindya Bucktowar and Nikhil Tricam of Kalki Ceramics. Now they and other HYD alumni call CK home. Hand-painted patterns by Bonolo Chepape form a backdrop to servers created by Sifiso Shange and tiled food stations by the Kalki Ceramics team. There’s Mash.T’s Tutu pendant, and Nok’khanya lights produced by Siviwe Jali and Ashanti Design. Every corner benefits from this local beauty, carefully curated by Tracy and brought to life in collaboration with Lindy Swart – co-founder and co-director of Acre Studios – and CK’s project manager Leigh van der Watt.

Clout/SA has evolved to manage and drive this design project across all Nando’s restaurants. The team works with select market-ready designers to prototype pieces and get them ready for inclusion on the Portal, Nando’s online marketplace. The group’s interior designers either order pieces from the Portal or collaborate with designers to create specific pieces to form a part of the restaurants they design.

Nando’s doesn’t lay claim to any of the designs – the designers can sell to anyone. But, as Tracy notes, “We’ve sold 50 000 local pieces to our global design network, which equates to about R100-million going back into the industry.” Business case and quarter-chickens aside, you cannot leave the spruced-up CK without feeling inspired – and envious. If only all our offices looked like this…

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SOL’s new collaborative campaign ‘Live from the Sunny Side‘ shines a bright light on South African design.

A group of South Africa’s most recognised designer makers, including Mash T Design Studio’s Thabiso Mjo, Lulasclan’s Bonolo Chepape, Modern Gesture’s Candice Lawrence, and TheUrbanative‘s Mpho Vackier, recently completed a collaborative design project with the South African team behind the global beer brand SOL.

With the support of Clout/SA, the project saw the designers create new pieces as well as adapt existing designs towards a collection that highlights an undeniably South African design approach, while also celebrating SOL’s positive and optimistic brand identity.

“That light-heartedness and the energy of the brand made for a really wonderful match with our South African designers, who have that very bold and optimistic approach to their design,“ says Clout/SA executive Tracy Lynch, who curated the collection, The designs will form part of the brand’s various local activations, from in-store installations through to pop-up installations at music festivals.

“There’s so much talent here, and we’re very conscious of the importance of giving designers the freedom to be creative, because they are the experts in that specific field. So we essentially asked Clout/SA to bring our ‘Live from the Sunny Side‘ campaign to life through functional design pieces,“ says SOL brand manager Warrick Wyngaard. “Tracy’s curation did so in amazing fashion, so much so that when we saw the range for the first time, everything was immediately approved,“ he adds.

Each of the selected designers not only found a deep connection between their collections and the character of the SOL brand, but also gained fresh perspectives for their collections as well as opportunities for new products through the collaboration.

“For Modern Gesture, we’ve created a neutral range, but SOL helped us look at it in a new way, adding pops of colour, and it looks absolutely stunning,“ says Modern Gesture’s Candice Lawrence. She adds that the “the energy that that SOL has brought into Modern Gesture has been great … and it’s also helped us to be openminded about all the other things that we could do in the future.“

For Mash T Design Studio’s Thabisa Mjo, who has also participated in previous collaborations facilitated by Clout/SA, the impact of such projects on her business and the industry at large cannot be overstated. “I cannot emphasise enough the impact that big businesses have when they take a chance on us as small businesses operating in the creative industries. The ripple effects are really something that is underestimated. It also sends a message of confidence to other big businesses, that if this brand is confident and happy enough to associate themselves with the creative industry in South Africa, that they might be missing out on something if they don’t do the same,“ says Thabisa.

“The impact of projects like this is huge. Support from big business buying from smaller manufacturers and makers like us not only helps us upgrade our businesses, our techniques and machinery, it also helps us involve more people. Just this one project has helped three other people who didn’t work here before,“ says Mpho Vackier, the creative director and founder of TheUrbanative

“While South African designers have a unique design aesthetic, it is an aesthetic that can be celebrated globally, and be reflected in collaborations with brands that share our passion for South African design. This curated collection for SOL would definitely be at home anywhere in the world, while undeniably showcasing a contemporary and uniquely South African design approach,“ says Tracy.

The collection will launch at 100% Design Africa at Decorex Joburg from 3 to 6 August 2023 at the Sandton Convention Centre. For more information and tickets, visit Decorex, 100% Design Africa and Design Joburg. 

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A thought-provoking brief led to innovative interpretations – and resulted in the beautiful all-wood Future Heirlooms collection.

Last year Always Welcome and the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) joined forces to release a first-of-its- kind collection created by seven South African designers. The collection, aptly named Future Heirlooms, asked designers to think freely in order to create an object or a piece of furniture that encapsulates the themes of sustainability, longevity and quality. The lineup of notable South African talent invited to partake included Dokter and Misses, Mash.T Design Studio, TheUrbanative, Kumsuka, Kalki Ceramics, Joe Paine in partnership with Nathan Gates, and NØDE.

Using American red oak, the seven pieces were brought to life by hardwood furniture designer-manufacturers Houtlander, and timber importers BOS Timbers. They are “a celebration of material and memory, and ask pertinent questions about our approach to the environment,” says AHEC regional director Roderick Wiles. The designs – one- off functional objects and small furniture pieces – were displayed at Always Welcome’s Viewing Rooms in Sandton until November, before moving to Always Welcome Heritage House in Cape Town in January 2023.

The Always Welcome team hopes this project inspires important discussions around sustainability in South African furniture design.“We’re extremely proud of the work produced for Future Heirlooms,” says Garreth van Niekerk, director and co-founder of the collective. “Many of these ambitious pieces would have been impossible without the expertise and careful eye of our partners Houtlander, and the support of AHEC and BOS Timbers.”

Pieces include the Now Now digital grandfather clock and repository for family information and memorabilia by Joe Paine and Nathan Gates; Family Portrait – a playful, photo-inspired furniture piece – by co-founders of Dokter and Misses and new parents, Katy Taplin and Adriaan Hugo, and the Fulani chair by TheUrbanative’s Mpho Vackier.

“We aspire to be a brand that not only celebrates stories but also respects the way in which we tell those stories,” Mpho says. “But more than anything, for me, exploring a new material is always exciting. My approach to most of my work is guided by the material, its properties and limits, and letting it have a say in the final piece. Using sustainable American red oak is not only logical but very necessary for us to do justice to the authentic essence of those stories.”

View the full collection and learn more about the inspiration behind each piece at Always Welcome Heritage House in Cape Town until the end of February.

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The Africa Centre in London has reopened at last. In its new location, this iconic meeting place for diasporans is a wonderful showcase of some of the finest creativity our continent and country have to offer.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu famously described the Africa Centre, in its original location in Covent Garden, as a hub for “all who are Africans, and all those who have a care for the interests of the continent and its people.” It was opened by Zambia’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda, in 1964, and for decades was an important place to meet, party and talk politics for people a long way from their homes dotted across our vast continent. Many South Africans in exile, including former president Thabo Mbeki, were among them.

So you can imagine the dismay when it closed its doors in 2013. But, almost 10 years later and at a new address – a revamped office block across the Thames, in Southwark – the cultural centre has opened its doors again. This new iteration is the design brainchild of London’s Freehaus architects and interior designer Tola Ojuolape. The welcoming spaces they’ve fashioned include the Malangatana Lounge, named for the acclaimed Mozambican artist and a mural of his that was removed off the stairwell wall in the old centre, and now has pride of place here. The Mandela exhibition space and Tatale – a pan-African restaurant – are also part of the first phase of the centre’s development.

When VISI chatted to Tola Ojuolape, who was born in Nigeria and grew up in Ireland, she put particular emphasis on how intentional she was in making sure the space represented a variety of African aesthetics and designers, but in a contemporary way. “I really struggle with the term ‘African design’,” she explains. “It’s difficult to say such a thing exists because, essentially, you’re trying to marinate 55 or so countries and create this aesthetic.” So for the Africa Centre, she concentrated on African design unifiers such as texture, colour, and creating by hand and the sensibilities that come with it. She wanted to celebrate African craftsmanship across the continent.

Tola, who has a background in food and beverage services design, has travelled across Africa, and finds it amazing how “collecting these trips as part of my own memories” has dovetailed so well with her career. For the centre, she worked to represent countries that are hugely disparate geographically and culturally, and teamed up with Tapiwa Matsinde of Atelier 55 to handle the complex logistics of importing items from far and wide.

Their dedication has paid off – and these interiors will immediately feel familiar to fans of local design. Mash.T Design Studio pendants hang above barstools by Dokter and Misses and stools from Phases Africa. There are pieces by Vogel and David Krynauw, Wiid Design and Modern Gesture. But these are deftly mixed with design from Senegal, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, and even from well-known international brands like Moroso (specifically from its M’afrique collection) and Ghanian-British starchitect David Adjaye’s Djenne collection of fabrics for Knoll. “We wanted it to feel familiar, irrespective of where people are from,” says Tola.

The layered use of wood, pattern, beadwork, textured plaster, and even instantly relatable materials like breeze block does the job in that respect. Add in a sophisticated but prominent colour palette, and you have a memorable space that is at once modern and an homage to the centre’s roots.

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Local design studio Mash.T introduces the new Brazzo range – a collection of pendants that are the result of a happy accident.

Creative Director Thabisa Mjo found some brass sheets in the studio and decided to make cute character lights. “I was intrigued by the innate contrast between the irreverent design and the sophisticated substance; a juxtaposition I felt was offbeat enough for the lights to have a bit of a sense of humour,” Thabisa says.

READ MORE: Mash.T Design Studio’s Ceramic Range

They started by constructing the little figurines by stacking the metal moulds in a puzzle formation. “The process was really one of trial and error, trying one piece against the other, until we eventually arrived at the shape of each light,” she continues.

Because brass sheets can be complicated to work with, the team find this collection very special and unique. The brass hardens very fast so needs to be cooled down during the spinning process. To create a satin-smooth finish, each pendant goes through up to four grinding processes and is then varnished in a clear lacquer finish to protect the material.

READ MORE: Lights On: New Lighting Designs

Thabisa is particularly fond of the Mesh Table Lamp and the Mon Pendant because they incorporate a black steel mesh, giving the lights a contemporary edge. “Just like the collection, the idea for the mesh steel was born out of experimentation: although we initially thought we would augment these lights with perforated brass, we found that it wasn’t strong enough to maintain the beautiful round form we were aiming for. We tried mesh steel instead, and found that it worked far better than perforated brass,” says Thabisa.

The range is available through mashtdesignstudio.com

In a VISI exclusive, Mash.T Design Studio and paint specialists Simply Colour teamed up to created these limited edition lamps inspired by the arcade game from the 80s.

VISI Collab: Limited Edition Mash.T X Simply Colour Pac-Man Lamps

Available exclusively in three colourways, the lamps make a bright addition to any bedside table or desk.

R3 100 | VISI Shop

Shop

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Mash.T Design Studio has together with local online paint specialists Simply Colour, designed three new colourways of the Pac-Man lamp, exclusively for VISI.

Mash.T Design Studio, founded by designer Thabisa Mjo, and paint specialists Simply Colour have teamed up to create these limited-edition lamps inspired by the arcade game from the 80s.

“Simply Colour have a fabulous product. The colours are original and fresh, and the paint formulas have no harmful chemicals which makes them safe for use in the home… and healthier for the environment. I’m excited to launch this collab with the Pac-Man in three of their signature colours,” says Thabisa.

The Pac-Man measures at 150mm in diameter and is made from steel (coated in Simply Colour’s non-toxic paint).

VISI Collab: Limited Edition Mash.T X Simply Colour Pac-Man Lamps

The lamps make a bright addition to any bedside table or desk.

*This collab is no longer available.

Available exclusively via the VISI Shop in three colourways:

• Muted Green – A calming hue somewhere between sage and grey.
• Rich Orange – Joyful and full of zest.
• Blush Pink – White, with just a hint of pink.

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An experiment examining the idea of a South African aesthetic by the Always Welcome store and Hyde Park House creates an exciting new direction for local design – and retail.

It’s been almost a year since local design cooperative Always Welcome opened its doors at Hyde Park Corner shopping centre in Johannesburg – during a tumultuous time in the local design industry’s history. Trade shows have all but ceased, and budgets have tightened everywhere.

Fortunately, Always Welcome’s membership-based model has thrived; it offers a game-changing platform where 24 of the country’s leading design studios have come together to create a shared marketplace.

Always Welcome members Dokter and Misses believe that it’s helping design businesses overcome hurdles they once faced themselves. “When we began Dokter and Misses in 2007, in order for us to reach customers and establish a brand, we needed to open brick-and-mortar stores,” says Katy Taplin, one half of the design duo. “I’m envious of how easily a new brand can connect with the market through social media these days – but having done it, we understand the value that a physical space brings to the design experience.”

To explore this next phase of South African design, Always Welcome wanted to understand what an interior space could be if created exclusively using designs by its members. And so, designers from around the country brought their offerings to Johannesburg to furnish a three-bedroom home, pairing up with the recently completed Hyde Park House development – designed by architect Enrico Daffonchio – to create a “showhouse” of southern African design.

“We wanted to represent a complete vision of local design; and Always Welcome provided the perfect platform for this,” says Hyde Park House’s head of development Richard Berold.

Always Welcome’s in-house design team, led by Alan Hayward and Garreth van Niekerk of Coraltree Projects, worked in partnership with Hyde Park House, with input from Always Welcome members. The cooperative also enlisted the design eye of performance artist Manthe Ribane (who features in the images here) to realise the overall feeling of the space.

Much like the store itself, the Hyde Park House project makes room for well-known pieces by Houtlander, Monn Carpets and Joe Paine to live alongside statement pieces by Dokter and Misses, Mash.T Studio, Indigenus, TheUrbanative and Inland Collective, as well as new work by Studio Stirling, Arrange Studio and the Bookward Bound Bindery.

A sense of warmth comes from softer items by designers such as Skinny laMinx, Wanderland Collective and Something Good Studio, and linen from Cape Town’s T-Shirt Bed Company in the bedrooms. Sculpture, craft and artworks enliven the space too, with handmade ceramics by Vorster & Braye, editioned prints by artist Trevor Stuurman, kinetic sculpture by Wessel Snyman, and wall hangings from the Swaziland-based weaving collective Gone Rural. Smaller details by Kirsten Goss Abode, Ngwenya Glass and House of Gozdawa bring final touches of interest.

This mixing of brands is key to the project. “Always Welcome has changed the idea of being in opposition with other designers to one of being in a symbiotic relationship with one another, where it is clear that we are stronger as a collective,” says Houtlander’s Phillip Hollander.

The showhouse can be viewed by appointment. The space also serves as a precursor to the upcoming launch of Always Welcome’s new online store, where the designers’ ranges will be available to purchase under “one roof”. Always Welcome’s online message, “Welcome To Your Own”, celebrates this new phase of local design, creating a platform where designers can be supported from your armchair – a chair that’s hopefully designed, and made, by your own favourite.

Looking for more on local decor and design? Take a look at Wiid Design’s new Spektrum collection.

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