WORDS Neyani Mphephu PHOTOS Supplied (Zani Alberts), Shaun Wagne, Inge Prins (Ashleigh Lloyd), Georgia Dorward, Supplied (Karlien van Rooyen), Supplied (Sinegugu Ngxongo), Francis Marais (Mpho Vackier), Supplied, Inge Prins (Thabisa Mjo), Supplied, (Naledi Modupi), Suly Khan (Bonolo Chepape), Supplied (Keabetswe Seema), Sune van Tonder (Tanisha Neill)

South African women have always been problem-solvers – within homes, communities and cultures. That same ingenuity drives established and emerging designers and artists whose work is rooted in lived experience, heritage and emotional depth. The result is work that speaks from a specific place, earning them recognition at home and abroad.

Here, 10 South African creatives reflect on the ideas, experiences and beliefs behind their practices.

Zani Alberts

Co-founder of DEFT Studios in Gqeberha, Zani is a furniture designer and maker who came to the craft through architecture. She and her business partner, Martin Tallie, established the studio in 2020. Her distinction lies in closing the distance between designer and maker. “There’s a real proudness that comes with being part of the physical fabrication of furniture,” she says. “Not a lot of women are willing to engage in that physical realm of production. For me, design doesn’t happen at arm’s length – it happens on the workshop floor, while it’s being built.”

She believes South African design already meets international standards, and that smaller, more considered workshops frequently produce exceptional work. “Design has become more playful, more expressive, more willing to experiment, and that’s the part I’m most excited to see grow,” she says. “The next generation seems less interested in permission. What I’d really like to see alongside that is more local production. Please stop importing. We have the skill and we have the makers, so the pieces may as well be built here.” | deftstudios.co.za

Ashleigh Lloyd

Founder of Studio Lloyd in Cape Town, Ashleigh creates handcrafted, large-scale sculptural lighting she describes as “future heirlooms”. Being a first-generation South African has shaped her conviction that local design can stand confidently on an international stage. Her move into bronze reflects an instinct for permanence – objects that carry the marks of making and grow into their own histories. She sees a generation moving beyond trends towards work that is “highly individual, technically ambitious and made to last”, and wants South African design recognised “not because it is ‘South African’, but because it is simply exceptional”. | studiolloyd.com

Karlien van Rooyen

Karlien’s ceramic practice emerged from hardship: homelessness, gender-based violence and chronic illness. Each vessel she makes stands as what she calls “a determined and dignified declaration of our personal and collective ability to endure”. Trained in medical science and shaped by years of environmental activism, she sees South African design’s future defined by “uncompromising depth, textural integrity, and grounded social innovation”, with rural materialities elevated globally “not as exotica, but as authoritative voices”. | karlienvanrooyen.com

Sinegugu Ngxongo

Founder of Bambizulu, Sinegugu grew up watching women solve problems for their families and communities. “If something solves a particular problem while also bringing beauty into the solution, for me, that is a tick,” she says. Working with rural artisans in Hlabisa, she speaks of design’s “limitless possibilities” and the responsibility they carry. “I would love to see a future where technology and innovation don’t replace that human knowledge, but help us strengthen it.” | bambizulu.com

Mpho Vackier

Mpho founded TheUrbanative, a furniture and product design studio in Johannesburg, in 2016. She approaches design through cultural interpretation. “It has never been about reproducing those references literally, but about understanding them, interpreting them and allowing them to exist within a contemporary design language,” she says. She sees a shift away from the need to “explain or prove its Africanness”, and is excited by African narratives joining the wider contemporary design canon rather than being viewed merely as inspiration. | theurbanative.com

Thabisa Mjo

Founder and creative director of Mash.T Design Studio in Johannesburg, Thabisa stumbled into design in 2015 when she entered the Nando’s Hot Young Designer Talent Search and won with her Tutu 2.0 pendant light, inspired by Xibelani skirts worn by Xitsonga women. She describes South African women as “collaborative, enterprising, and problem-solving” – qualities she sees as directly transferable to design. “The aesthetic is a result of an approach, a perspective,” she says. “The most interesting design and designers are those with a perspective, and I think that’s what the next generation of really stand-out design will be defined by.” | mashtdesignstudio.com

Naledi Modupi

A Johannesburg-based visual artist and illustrator, Naledi is best known for semi-abstract portraiture that celebrates the beauty and individuality of Black women. Her distinctive style pairs continuous lines with bold, vibrant colour, moving between digital and traditional media. Naledi uses colour as her primary language, telling stories about women with vivid, expressive palettes that feel gentle and confident at once. “I don’t see gentleness and boldness as opposites; I think they can exist beautifully together,” she says. She is energised by the way South African women are asserting their place in the conversation, and excited by the breakdown of boundaries between art, illustration and design. “I’m seeing more and more women coming through, creating their own visual language and making their mark.” | naledimodupi.co.za

Bonolo Chepape

Founder of the textile and lifestyle brand Lulasclan, Bonolo treats pattern as a storytelling tool. Her work has appeared on Nando’s restaurant facades, in Mr Price Home collections, and in the rain | VISI collection, which launched in August. “At the core of my practice is an ongoing exploration of mark-making and pattern as a language that connects people, disciplines, and places,” she says. “I find my tribe in women who choose to remain joyful and full of colour despite sometimes serious working environments.” That generosity of spirit shapes her design thinking too: “My thinking always leans on creating space for women to embrace every part of themselves, their strength, softness, ambition, joy and individuality.” She sees the future of South African design as many voices at once. “It is about allowing many perspectives to exist simultaneously and, through that diversity, creating something distinctly our own.” | lulasclan.com

Keabetswe Seema

Keabetswe works across collage, photography, sound, mixed media, printmaking and installation. She sits at the juncture of Afro-surrealism, Afro-futurism and Black feminist thought, constructing layered visual worlds that collapse archival, personal and imagined narratives. Raised in a matriarchal household, she foregrounds Black women to restore their agency. “They take centre stage time and time again in order to preserve and shift the dominant narratives that have marginalised them previously,” she says. She is excited by immersive world-building: “less items simply on the wall but active embodied engagements from the audience with the art and/or design.” | @_keaseema

Tanisha Neill

A furniture designer, Tanisha grew up surrounded by South Africa’s diverse landscapes and credits her mother’s instinct for interiors as a formative influence. She entered the industry at a moment of growth, with platforms like Cape Town Furniture Week and Design Week South Africa opening new doors for emerging designers. “The more designers look inward, understand their own perspective and build from there, the more distinctive and exciting South African design will become,” she says. Her advice: “Don’t wait until you have the perfect brand, the perfect plan or all the answers.” | nish.design

What connects these 10 women is a shared instinct to look inward before looking outward. Each studio, each practice, each piece is a statement about where South African design has come from and, more importantly, where it is capable of going.

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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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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 extensive panel of judges for the 2021 Innibos National Craft Awards has been announced, ensuring excellence in rewarding innovation and skill.

Each judge brings their own area of expertise to the selection process.

The judges for 2021 include:

Thabisa Mjo,the owner and founder of Mash.T Design Studio.

Amos Letsoalo, the head curator of the Polokwane Art Museum.

Maureen Waldeck, the brand manager of Tourvest Destination Retail’s stores and retail brands.

Malibongwe Tyilo, a journalist, multimedia content producer, content strategist and editor.

Annemarie Meintjes, the editor at large of VISI magazine.

Over 150 entries have already been received for the 2021 Innibos National Craft Awards.

Crafters have until midnight on Friday, August 13, 2021, to enter.

You need simply take a photo of your entry – next to a matchbox for size and scale, and either email it to crafts@innibos.co.za or send it to 071 621 3597 via MMS or WhatsApp. There is no entry fee.

For more information, please WhatsApp Jan Bhuda on 071 621 3597 or email John-Anthony Boerma at artaid@lantic.net.

To keep up to date with the Innibos National Craft Awards, like them on Facebook and Instagram.

Looking for more on art or design? Read about the new Roger Ballen Centre for Photographic Art.

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A contemporary look at traditional forms comes to life in the new line of smaller goods by award-winning Joburg-based design house, Mash.T.

Mash.T Design Studio, founded by Thabisa Mjo, recently launched its first line of ceramics, taking the brand into the world of smaller (and, we predict, hugely collectable) home goods. The colourful Presents From Joburg range of vases, planters, platters, fruit bowls, shakers, side plates, dip bowls and candleholders has been spun, in true Thabisa fashion, in a contemporary language that showcases the designer’s expressive use of colour, pattern and shape.

Presents From Joburg came about at a quiet time for the studio, while operating during the pandemic, and now stands as another testament to Mash.T’s ongoing collaborative approach to design. After initial design work on the range, Mash.T began a partnership with

Cape Town-based ceramic artist Aleri Odendaal, who worked from her home studio during the lockdown. “Most of our communication with Aleri took place on WhatsApp,” says Thabisa. “A similar thing happened with our new Bright Light sculpture, also created during the peak of the lockdown. The beader who worked on the sculpture – Neliswa Sigwela of Qaqambile Bead Studio – told us that working on the Bright Light gave her family the opportunity to see, for the first time, what she actually does!”

Mash.T recently made headlines after 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.

But Thabisa hopes the more affordable ceramic items will open the studio’s offerings to new audiences, who might not be able to acquire her larger pieces just yet, but who still want to own a piece of the Mash.T brand. “Not everyone can get our pendants, even though they might share our values and identify with our design language,” says Thabisa. “So we want to make Mash.T products more accessible. And it’s why Presents From Joburg is launching with items centred around serving tools. We want to foster the idea of community, and of coming together at the end of the day to share a meal. It’s about treasuring the moments spent together around the dinner table.”

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Aspire Art Auctions has teamed up with Greg Gamble and Philippe van der Merwe of interior architecture studio Tonic Design to host a fine design auction.

“As contemporary fine art from Africa is increasingly coveted by a growing local and international community, our intention is also to promote the finest contemporary design produced on this continent alongside signature pieces from international designers,” says Ruarc Peffers, Senior Art Specialist at Aspire Art Auctions.

“Putting good local design on a par with its international equivalents elevates South African products and reminds us that if we buy good, well-designed furniture, wherever it comes from, it can have and retain resale value,” adds Greg.

Cassina, Eero Aarnio, Kartell, Ib Kofod-Larsen, Christensen & Larsen and Børge Mogensen are some of the renowned international design studios that will feature as part of this collaborative auction.

Christensen & Larsen

Locally designed pieces include the Hlabisa Bench by Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T, in collaboration with Houtlander and Beauty Ngxongo, and the House Union Block ceramic and cork trays, created by Laurie Wiid of Wiid Design, together with Glorinah Khutso Mabaso of Renaissance Design, facilitated by Clout. There are also pieces by Joe Paine, Yaniv Chen of Master Studio, Tonic Design, Dokter and Misses, Gregor Jenkin Studio and Anatomy Design.

Thabisa Mjo (Mash.T Design Studio), Philip Houtlander and Stephen Wilson, and Beauty Ngxongo.

The lots are on view at Aspire Art Auctions’ Johannesburg gallery until 26 November 2020, by appointment. You can browse the digital catalogue here. Online bidding is open and the auction will close on 26 November at 7pm. For more information, visit aspireart.net.

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From locally made cactus leather hats and a virtual Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition to a new Créma store in Cape Town, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 356.

1. Simon and Mary’s Cactus Leather Hat Collection

Johannesburg-based hat atelier Simon and Mary’s latest range features headgear made from the nopal cactus. The leather is sustainable, partially biodegradable and made without toxic chemicals, phthalates or PVC. The hats are available in two styles (peak and bucket) in three colourways. Shop here.

Image credit: Koos Groenewald (Jana + Koos), courtesy of Simon and Mary

2. Thabisa Mjo’s Work Acquired By Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) in Paris has acquired two pieces by award-winning designer Thabisa Mjo of design studio Mash.T for its permanent collection, a first for a South African designer. MAD Paris now houses one of Mash.T’s renowned Tutu 2.0 lamps, as well as a Mjojo cabinet. “I am completely thrilled,” says Thabisa. “To have my work represented on the international stage and as part of an important permanent collection, following my earlier exhibition at Bonne Espérance.”

Mjojo cabinet

Tutu 2.0 lamp

Images courtesy of Clout

3. Frank Lloyd Wright: Timeless Exhibition

Spoke Art Gallery and The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation have come together for a virtual version of the Frank Lloyd Wright: Timeless exhibition, which features limited-edition prints and live-streamed events. The posters, created by artists including Max Dalton and Kim Smith, feature a selection of the iconic architect’s buildings.

Taliesin by Rory Kurtz

The Marden House by Max Dalton

Robie House by Steve Thomas

Seacliff by Francois Schuiten

Images via Spoke Art

4. New Créma Store at V&A Waterfront

A brand-new Créma store, designed by Yaniv Chen of Masterstudio, is now open at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The store will showcase accessories from the likes of Tom Dixon and Ferm Living, with collections featuring scents, bowls, ceramics, decor and stationery.

Tom Dixon

Tom Dixon

Images courtesy of Créma

5. IKEA Museum Catalogues

The IKEA Museum has collated its collection of catalogues, dating back 70 years to 1950, as part of a new exhibition. You can browse all the past catalogues online, a perfect way to see the brand’s style evolution.

Image via IKEA Museum

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 356 on picks of the week 173.

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Award-winning designer Thabisa Mjo of interior and product design studio Mash.T tells us about her latest collection of pendant lampshades.

It all began with the award-winning Tutu 2.0 light, Thabisa Mjo’s first take on melding traditional crafts with technology – while sharing stories of South Africa’s diverse cultures – in order to create a contemporary South African design aesthetic.

Her next triumph in this area was the Hlabisa bench – a collaboration between Mash.T, Houtlander and master Zulu basket weaver Beauty Ngxongo. “It was the form and shape of the backrest of the Hlabisa bench that made me ‘click’,” says Thabisa. “I discovered something about my work – it’s sculptural. The biggest sculpture we’ve made is ‘Sacrosanct’, which was exhibited at Milan Design Week 2019. It speaks to this architectural language, although it’s still quite rudimentary.”

Mash.T’s latest collection is another range of innovative pendant lights. “When I was making these new pendants, that’s what I had in mind: creating sculptural pieces, and using their shape as a canvas to showcase the skills and talent of the craftspeople,” says Thabisa.

The beading in the Liz, Weavers’ Nest and Mummy pendants is done by women at the Boitumelo Sewing Project in Johannesburg. It is then masterfully applied to the frames by the head weaver at Mash.T, Derrily Hodgkinson. “Derrily and I have been working together from the very beginning – we made the first Tutu 2.0 together,” says Thabisa. “We work out the pattern and how it will look on the pendants.”

The fourth item in the collection, the Stack pendant, is a little different – and has its own unique story to tell. “For the Stack pendant, I worked with Karingana Wa Karingana, a textile company in Mozambique,” Thabisa explains. “The fabric used is 100% pure cotton, handwoven by artisans in the Ivory Coast. It is my second time working with Karingana. Our first collaboration was on the Axis pendant, where we used a textile developed from banana leaves and wax cotton fabric, which is spun in Mozambique.”

For more information, visit mashtdesignstudio.co.za.

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