From a giant 3D mural in France and a virtual trade show to an interactive cooking initiative and locally made planters, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 340.

1. Leon Keer’s Safe House Mural

The latest project by Dutch artist Leon Keer, well known for his large-scale 3D murals, sees him cover the side of a housing complex in Morlaix, France, in larger-than-life gift wrap. Entitled Safe House, the gold-wrapped gift symbolises the importance and safety of a space to call your own. The artwork was created as part of the MX29 Graffiti Tour, organised by Les Ateliers du Graff.

Image credit: Leon Keer via streetpainting3d.com

2. Nosh To Raise Dosh

Nosh To Raise Dosh is a local initiative organised by Not Just a Comb, headed up by designer and creative director Hamzeh Al Farahneh, together with Partners in Dosh, to support FoodFlow. The concept is to provide comfort and relief to hungry families by combining outreach and creativity. The free bi-weekly newsletter provides inspiring recipes, bringing families together over food, while raising money for FoodFlow. Every five subscriptions helps feed a family for a week. To subscribe and find out more, visit notjustacomb.com or follow @notjustacreator on Instagram.

Image courtesy of notjustacomb.com

3. Lashongwe Designs

Gauteng-based design brand Lashongwe Designs has broadened its contemporary African jewellery offering to include locally-inspired home decor. The brand’s Mahlangu range includes planters, scented candle holders, bags and bangles.

Images courtesy of lashongwedesigners.co.za

4. Paintings by Artist Welcome Danca

Making use of oil, acrylic and charcoal, KwaZulu-Natal-born artist Welcome Danca uses his art to explore his memories of growing up in rural areas as a child. For queries, email welcome.danca@gmail.com.

Sisters

Thokozani Mthiyane

Watching The Box

Images courtesy of Welcome Danca

5. Virtual IHGF Delhi Trade Fair

You can browse home, fashion, lifestyle and textile products online at the IHGF Delhi Fair, which will run virtually from 13–18 July 2020. This international trade show features over 1 500 suppliers. Registration is free to the event, here.

Images courtesy of ihgfdelhifair.in

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Cape Town-based designer and creative director Hamzeh Al Farahneh has collaborated with PUMA South Africa on an exclusive capsule collection.

“To me, design is a tool that should simplify, enhance and improve the quality of our lives,” says Hamzeh Al Farahneh, the designer behind NOT JUST A COMB, a series of one-of-a-kind ductile plastic combs that launched in 2017. “It has to be functional and aesthetically pleasing.”

He has now expanded his idea into NOT JUST A PUMA, a collaboration that makes use of PUMA sneakers to create a series of one-off, hand-crafted design pieces. Each of the collection’s four hand-beaded shoes, expertly embellished by a community of South African woman artisans, embody a different concept associated with love.

“With each design, I wanted to represent a theme that talks about the various types of love and how we can use the concept of love in order to build bridges and find our commonalities,” says Hamzeh.

Love Rainbow features colourful patterns that represent love in its varying forms, while Pont des Arts Et Tokyo is an ode to two of the world’s most romantic locations, the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris and Tokyo during cherry blossom season. Love = Mama Africa celebrates a mother’s unconditional love, and Borders, which makes use of appliqué panels and beads that each represent an individual person, highlights the need for society to loosen both its figurative and literal borders.

Pieces in the NOT JUST A PUMA collection, which launched in February, retail from R3 600. A portion of the proceeds will go towards Anna Foundation’s women empowerment programme.

For more information, visit notjustacomb.com.

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From a guesthouse inspired by beehives and local Christmas ornaments to a bold bottle of Prosecco and a blue AGA stove, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 261.

1. Beehive Guesthouse

“Inspired by architecture in Japan and The Netherlands, and reminiscent of a beehive, Studio 512 has made use of angular walls to add volume to a guesthouse in Texas,” says Online Editor Lindi Brownell Meiring. “The interiors are almost as striking as the exteriors – I can’t decide what I love more.”

Image credit: Whit Preston via designboom.com

2. Valdo Prosecco Rosé Brut Floral Edition

“It’s summer and it’s the holidays, just the time to try some new bubblies, like the wide range of Prosecco sparkling wines imported from Italy,” says Copy Editor Kay-Ann van Rooyen. “Prosecco has a fresh, fruity, aromatic fizz – and it’s the base for a classic Bellini cocktail! You won’t find more eye-catching than the Valdo Prosecco Rosé Brut Floral Edition, with a design on the bottle by Italian fashion editor and illustrator Fabrizio Sclavi – who describes it as ‘bursting with joy’. It sells for between R220 and R280 per bottle.”

Image credit: proseccosa.co.za

3. Ronnie van der Walt Ceramics at Babylonstoren

“I’m crazy about ceramics,” says Editor-in-Chief Sumien Brink. “These succulent containers by award-winning artist Ronnie van der Walt are the latest addition to the Babylonstoren grounds and I think they’re absolutely lovely.”

Image credit: babylonstoren.com

4. AGA’s Salcombe Blue

“Get a breezy coastal look in your home with this new shade from AGA,” says Features Editor Amelia Brown. “This cool shade makes me think of summer cooking in sleepy seaside towns.”

Image credit: agaliving.co.za

5. “Spread the Love” Christmas Collection by NOT JUST A COMB

“NOT JUST A COMB, run by Creative Director Hamzeh Alfarahneh, has released a collection of handmade Christmas decorations crafted by three South African non-profit organisations,” says Managing Editor Samantha Charles. “You can buy the ornaments online at notjustacomb.com.”

Roses Papier-mâché Christmas Ornament By NJAC x Wola Nani, R100

Love Rainbow Papier-mâché Bauble By NJAC x Wola Nani, R100

Love = Mama Africa Papier-mâché Bauble By NJAC x Wola Nani, R100

Image credit: notjustacomb.com

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