Joburg-based gallery and creative studio BKhz is curating a group show titled Blue Is The Warmest Colour at its first pop-up in the Mother City. 

Located in Braamfontein, BKhz Studio was founded in 2018 by artist Banele Khoza (read our Artists We Love interview with him here) as a space to both create and display his art and as a platform for emerging artists and curators. Since its establishment, the BKhz brand has committed itself to expanding the perception of contemporary art in South Africa, providing space, visibility, time and support to established and emerging artists.

Under the directorship of Banele, who co-curated the Gallery Lab at FNB Art Joburg 2019, BKhz has curated four solo exhibitions and over 15 group shows in Joburg and Pretoria, and is now bringing the formula to Woodstock, Cape Town. The pop-up’s auspicious location places it near established galleries – Stevenson, Goodman Gallery and blank projects – in this hip art district.

The group show – which includes the likes of artist Nelson Makamo, multimedia artist Vusi Beauchamp, illustrator Seth Pimentel, painter Thando Salman, and photographer Jodi Bieber, amongst others – is the result of a partnership between BKhz and Houtlander, with the support from the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS). Award-winning furniture design brand Houtlander has manufactured a collectable range in American oak that will form part of the show and serve as seating for visitors to the pop-up.

Houtlander. Image credit: Anel Wessels

Jodi Bieber

Thando Salman

The title, Blue Is the Warmest Colour, is taken from the 2013 French film, which was in turn inspired by a graphic novel, all of the same name. “It’s about understanding the dynamics of blue in the arts,” explains Banele. The colour blue stands as a symbol of the intense emotion, curiosity, sadness and passion. Banele makes reference to Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period, when he painted essentially monochromatic paintings in shades of blue and blue-green, and French artist Yves Klein’s singular use of ultramarine blue in his work.

In the film the colour blue is a focal point, from the lighting of rooms to the clothes and one of the main character’s hair and eyes; the hue’s intensity wanes in relation to the plot. According to BKhz, while some of the show’s artists have worked with blue, others have been challenged to explore territory that is outside their practice.

Blue Is the Warmest Colour will take place from 6 to 28 February 2020 at 41 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, with a walkabout on 15 February. Find out more at bkhz.art and on Instagram (@bkhz). 

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INTERVIEWED BY Lindi Brownell Meiring IMAGES Shavan Rahim

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Kent Lingeveldt, founder of skateboarding brand Alpha Longboards, is shaping boards and local skate culture.

More than a skater, a shaper, an artist and a photographer, Kent Lingeveldt is also an inspirational figure in a growing community of people – those picking up a board for the first time as well as those finally getting back on one.

Kent Lingeveldt

You’ve been shaping boards for more than 18 years. Was it a natural progression from skating?

It’s only when I shifted from street to downhill skateboarding in the late ’90s that I realised there was a major component of my gear missing: a longboard. Because I didn’t have money to buy the imported longboards, I had to improvise a bit and figure out how to make my own. I knew I wanted to be in skateboarding forever and to make a living from it, so starting Alpha Longboards in 2001 was just the perfect solution.

Your aim with Alpha Longboards is to put skate culture first. How do you make this happen?

Whenever I’m faced with a decision, I always ask myself: “Is it good for skateboarding?” I come from a simpler, purer time in skateboarding. We weren’t the cool kids. Our shoes weren’t cool. Our hoodies weren’t being worn by non-skaters worldwide. Unbeknownst to me, I actually started skating during an industry slump! Because of all of these things, I am very protective of my idea of skateboard culture. Whatever I put out, I want our skate forefathers to look at it and go, “Yes, I can dig that. It’s why we forged the path we did.” I want the current skate generation to go, “Yeah, this is skateboarding,” not the illusion of fame and fortune that big corporates now hold as carrots to young skaters in a bid to buy into our culture.

You collaborate with artists on custom boards, including Atang Tshikare and Dion Cupido. Is there anyone else you’d still like to collaborate with?

Before I talk possible collabs, I want to tip my hat to Atang, Dion, Kaylin Carr, Khaya Witbooi, Ice 7, Conform, Ello Xray Eyes, Mishal Weston, King Champion and Dylan Saulse – all artists I have and will continue to work with. I have just started a collaboration with STREETART YOYO, a Korean artist based in Zambia, and I am excited to see where that goes. I also want to extend the work I do with the current stable of artists to merchandise and apparel. Look out for something from Kaylin Carr, Atang Tshikare and Ice 7.

View this post on Instagram

So this went live yesterday and the response has been amazing! The @kaylin_car X @alphalongboards collaboration has dropped and can be found at http://alphalongboards.com/product-category/kaylin-car/ (link in profile ) First 10 t-shirt buyers get entered into a draw to win a free collaboration deck as seen in last image with winner announced 6 September 2019 Amazing pics by @tachiomhle #kaylincar #alphalongboards #collaboration #artistseries #artist #skateart #capetownartist #skateboarding #skatelife #illustration #girlsthatskate #capetown #southafrica #urbanfreedom #longboards #customskateboards

A post shared by ALPHA LONGBOARDS Cape Town (@alphalongboardscapetown) on Aug 20, 2019 at 3:18am PDT

What are your plans for the rest of 2019?

From an Alpha Longboards perspective, we are solidifying our merchandise line to work in tandem with our ever-growing longboard art range. From a Kent Lingeveldt perspective, we’ve kicked off my travelling skateboard photo exhibition, SKATE AT OWN RISK, which will run at different venues locally and hopefully abroad too. Other than that, I want to build on the great foundation of the past 18 years and continue to be a true reflection of and ambassador for skateboarding worldwide.

For more information, visit alphalongboards.com and follow Alpha Longboards on Instagram.

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From the road, you would never guess the contemporary interior or the sense of scale of this quaint and unassuming semi-detached house in Woodstock, Cape Town.

For most architects and interior designers, the dream is to have carte blanche or, better still, to work on a property of their own. Interior Designer Hendre Bloem had been looking for the right space to launch a property development arm of his design studio. He knew immediately that this Woodstock semi-detached house was it, so he suggested a collaboration to architect Mias de Vries of Fifty8 Twelve Design.

“It’s always a pleasure designing beautiful spaces for others, where I have to balance the client’s needs with my own ideas and somehow come to an acceptable design loved by both parties,” says Mias, who owns a share in the property. “Working for a client pushes you to think differently and stretches you as a designer, whereas being your own client gives you the freedom to make all the decisions. And, in this case, collaborating with another designer has made this process even better.”

Mias applied the same fundamental brief he always does: to transform a space into a liveable piece of art while making use of its inherent characteristics.

The objective was to add value without over-capitalising. Interior walls were knocked down to open up the separate kitchen, dining and living room, set at the back of the property; an underutilised roof space was converted into a third bedroom, and en-suite bathrooms were added to each bedroom. Due to the property’s venerable age of 110 years, Heritage Western Cape dictated that no changes could be made to the facade and the roof. Concessions were made to allow for the installation of two roof windows, capitalising on the views of Table Mountain, and adaptations to the shape of the roof at the back of the house, which is not visible from the street.

With just 116 m² internal space to work with, the team applied a theory developed by French architect Bernard Tschumi, which states that there is no architecture without events, actions or activity: The spatial flow and design of the house was developed by organising its key elements: movement (hallway, staircase and circulation area), event (bedrooms, lounge, dining, courtyard and stoep) and services (bathrooms and kitchen).

“Zones 1 and 3 (movement and services) were purposefully kept dark in terms of colour,” says Hendre. “Black, charcoal and grey define these spaces and create a framework for their functions. We kept Zone 2, the spaces in the middle where one lives and entertains, airy.” The duo ensured every square metre is used efficiently, which enables the event spaces in-between to be as open and multifunctional as possible.

The original has been lovingly incorporated into the modern and renovated to form a symbiotic relationship of old and new. Hardwood flooring, exposed brick and timber interact with sleek satin black finishes, polished marble, granite, solid oak, frameless glass and raw steel.

From its unassuming exterior, the house opens to a modern interior with pieces by OKHA, Casamento and James Mudge and walls adorned with South African contemporary art. As you’re drawn through, a charming exterior courtyard extends from the kitchen, and there’s the revelation of a master bedroom sanctuary in the eaves.

The design philosophy has increased the impression of space. The “edges” of the house, the movement and service spaces, disappear in darkness, leaving the event space in-between open and free, ready for the owner to interpret, create and live in.

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We chat to Natasha Viljoen, founder of Cape Town pottery studio Clay Hands, about her new space, inspirations and working with clay.

Tell us about the history of Clay Hands.

I grew up thinking it was normal to have a pottery studio in your home, and maybe because I thought this was so normal it never even crossed my mind that it would be a path I’d follow as a career. Sometimes the best things are right there in front of you.

My grandmother, Valerie Claassens, was a potter and teacher in Pretoria. And then my mother, Lissa Claassens, became a studio potter in her 20s and also a pottery teacher in her home studio, Earth Play Studio. I was one of her first students at the age of four. So I grew up in and around pottery studios.

I’m trained as a graphic designer and worked freelance before the whole Clay Hands thing emerged, kind of by accident. Odon (my partner) and I started going to weekly classes at my mom’s studio in Hout Bay in 2014. Soon friends became interested in the craft too and wanted to join but my mom’s evening classes were full. So we opened a “chill” class for friends at her studio. It was a lot of fun and two years down the line I have stopped doing graphic design professionally and opened the Clay Hands studio in April 2018, where I now happily spend my time and teach four times a week.

How did you get into clay?

I’m still getting into clay. It’s a life-long journey. There is so much to explore and experiment with clay. From the harvesting of one’s own clay and playing alchemist mixing glazes to different types of firing (gas, wood, electric or alternative firings) and exploring shapes, forms, textures and colours. I honestly think I could spend my life “getting into clay” and still not be bored. But I think it was the return to those evening pottery classes in my early 20s that got me hooked. The time in the classes felt like a meditation, a time truly for me, and a place to really be creative (instead of moving pixels around a screen).

Who do you look to locally for inspiration?

Locally, my inspiration very much comes from my day-to-day living and people I cross paths with, from students to friends. My mom is obviously a huge source of inspiration. She makes incredible sculptural pieces. I admire the technical skills and knowledge that goes into her work.

Ckho Mququ and Unathi Peter are two very talented up-and-coming ceramic artists working from the incubation ecosystem of Macassar Pottery. I learn a lot from seeing their processes unfold on a weekly basis when I go there to give classes.

Alila Hofmeyr, who was in those first pottery classes as a child with me, is now also a potter and a huge inspiration. It’s great to have a friend to bounce ideas with and share the journey of becoming.

Tell us about your new studio.

The decision to move into 196 Victoria came quite suddenly while I was attending an astrology class run by Orietta, the owner/visionary of the building, so we only had a month to get everything sorted and set up. It was a lot, but really amazing to work in a team with my family. 196 Victoria is a holistic healing and creative centre in Woodstock. I’m so lucky to have found a spot that is central and easy to access with public transport and yet tucked away in the sanctuary of a leafy courtyard. I feel like I’m living in a fairytale in this fantastic building. You can’t miss it: it’s bright yellow on the main road, and yet most people don’t see it.  I share the studio space with @alexkatamarang, who makes beautiful custom bags.

Give us some insight into your studio’s decor style?

Although we’re in the business of making “things” (although mindfully) I very much believe there are already too many “things” in the world, so I try source anything I need for the studio from second-hand shops, through upcycling, repurposing or by making it myself. The beautiful shelves in the studio were made and designed by my dad from old solar panel crates and palettes (he’s a renewable energy engineer). We built all the shelves out of those and they look super!

What pottery styles / techniques do you see being used most frequently?

About a year ago there was a big trend towards white homeware, which I’m really glad we’ve moved beyond. People are being more experimental and playful at the moment. There’s a lot of carving textures, whimsical patterns and layered glazes going on. I love that more and more people are wanting to dedicate time to experiment with various surface design techniques and also building techniques, like learning to throw on the wheel or mastering a skill like coiling.

Tell us about your classes and workshops.

At the moment I facilitate weekly classes on a Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evening from 7pm until 9:30pm and the terms run more-or-less with school term times on cycles of about 10 weeks.

With these, it’s been an honour to see the growth in the participants, which comes with their commitment to weekly practice, as well as the connections that form through the space. Clay is something that really requires us to slow down and practice patience. It teaches us to embrace mistakes and find acceptance.

For commitment phobes (jokes!) and people who just want to come try out some claying, I offer one-off Saturday morning or Tuesday evening workshops every month. And every first Tuesday of the month Yanna Romano (Emerge) and I offer  “Listening In” – a movement meditation and mindful clay event with live music and minimal words.

Interested in joining a class? Visit the Clay Hands website for more information or follow the studio on Facebook.

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A 120-year-old building in Woodstock, Cape Town, has been renovated into a new co-living concept.

Cape Town Cribs, a company offering fully furnished, shared-living spaces in Cape Town, approached interior designer and architect Juané Venter to work on their latest project. It involved a complete renovation of a rather neglected, large (approximately 220 m²) double-storey Victorian, the addition of two bedrooms, and furnishing the property within a strict budget.

Cape Town Cribs’ clientele are young professionals, so the interiors of this heritage building had to be creative and modern, says Juané, who was VISI’s Win a Home contestant in the third season. The renovations took three months and Juané was responsible for everything from the architectural drawings to interior decoration and project management.

“I had total creative freedom within the limited budget, which lead to some innovative and thrifty thinking! It also lead me on some very interesting adventures throughout Cape Town to find hidden gems and great deals,” she says. “You don’t need expensive items in order to create a beautiful interior, but your basics have to be good.”

Juané was inspired by Woodstock’s vibrancy, unpredictability and creativity juxtaposed with the classic Victorian architecture, and by the abundance of funky graffiti on every corner. She commissioned Wayne Beukes (aka Conform) for the façade of the house, which faces Woodstock’s busy Victoria Walk road, to create a large 6 m graffiti artwork.

Inside, geometric lines, contemporary colours and classic pieces of furniture have been combined with modern light fittings. “My style is minimalist and industrial, and I believe in the honesty of materials. Wherever I could I exposed the original, solid wood. I also chose steel, wood and quality materials where possible,” she explains.

Juané opted for white as a base and accented bedroom walls with different colours from Dulux (such as Poseidon, Butterfield, Subzero Blue and Kentucky Blue). “I wanted to create a quiet space that feels light and open, but add some interesting elements with the choice of colours and artwork. Each bedroom features a different print ranging from sketches to photographs by South African creatives and artists Lente Conradie, Minenhle Ntuli, Conform and myself.”

The staircase was very dilapidated and covered in a red carpet with layers of paint beneath. Juané and her team spent more than three weeks sanding it to expose the solid Oregon pine Victorian balustrade. The stairs were then painted a contemporary dark grey.

“My favourite part of the renovation is the triangle light in the main atrium. I made it myself and it cost less than R800!” Juané laughs. A similar geometric pattern is repeated in the lounge. More nifty budget-friendly choices included open cupboards, shelving and steel rods for hanging items in the bedrooms and freestanding, full-length mirrors, which Juané had cut at PG Glass.

“Working with an old building on a limited budget teaches you so much about architecture, building and design,” says Juané. “You don’t need a lot of money, you just need good ideas and a good spirit to explore unexpected places.”

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Canteen, a brand-new boutique food court, has just opened its doors in Cape Town’s Salt River.

The interiors, which reflect a simple, clean aesthetic, were collaboratively designed by Cape Town-based industrial designer Ashley Adami and Neighbourgoods Market manager Benjamin Cox.

The brief was to design and curate a market-style or communal dining environment, something that has been in the works for the past five months. “Canteen is the first in a series of boutique food courts that represents a new concept in dining and culinary culture,” says Ashley. “The aesthetic is influenced by traditional ‘canteen-style’ dining. This is echoed throughout the interiors.”

Custom designs – from racks, trays and kitchen units to furniture, planters and shelves – feature throughout the space, set against a neutral palette that allows individual food vendors to shine.

From authentic Eastern cuisine (Silk Road) and Pete Goffe-Woods’ Breakfast, Burgers & Beyond to fresh juices and smoothies (Eso Juice), you will find a wide variety of menu options from an array of local street food chefs.

For more information, follow Canteen on Instagram. Canteen, which is open from 8am until 4pm Monday to Friday, is located at 17 Queen’s Park Avenue, Salt River, Cape Town.

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A love of upcycling has been key to the artful renovation of their Woodstock home. Now, the Esterhuizens are ready for the next challenge.

After traversing the globe on a year-long sabbatical, visiting 35 countries, two Californian real-estate consultants felt like strangers in a foreign land when they returned to the States. That’s when they knew they had to realise their dream of moving to Cape Town. Jari is from San Francisco and Jasper is a Potchefstroom-born African-cum-American.

These globetrotters are, quite appropriately, flight-crossed lovers who met at O.R. Tambo International (then called Jan Smuts Airport). Twenty-five years of marriage later, they spend their days pursuing their passion for development, restoration and design through their company The J Factor, which involves the resurrection of neglected architectural gems.

“When we told our family and friends that we were selling almost everything we had to go and live in Woodstock they thought we were mad,” says Jari. “On our travels we became accustomed to living with no more than 15 kg of luggage and we realised we didn’t need all the stuff we thought we did.” And so the design duo sought out their next project in Woodstock, an area they consider the creative hub of Cape Town.

The 65-year-old house they bought was seriously dilapidated. In the capable hands of Jari and Jasper, who have worked together for most of their married life, it underwent a metamorphosis into an eclectic, spacious, light-filled home.

“The house was a wreck when we found it. It did not have any of the charm most Woodstock houses do: no wooden floors, no pressed-steel ceilings and no original wrought-iron fences. We decided to see this as a positive sign to take the design of the house in a totally different direction and began knocking down walls.”

On the front stoep, a restored vintage metal porch glider decorated with hand-dyed pillows catches the eye. It is a hint of what to expect inside. “We love upcycling,” says Jasper. “Very often store-bought items don’t fit the bill, the intended purpose or the budget, which necessitates having a creative alternative. For example, we found very old metal screws at a Stellenbosch market that were used on the railways dating back to the 1920s – we mounted them on beautiful old blocks of wood to use as towel hooks in the bathroom. And we repurposed an old gate from a jail in Mexico to serve as a headboard.”

Their home is dotted with a harmonious mix of restored vintage pieces and contemporary designer accents from around the globe. Ethereal floor-to-ceiling whites and earthy tones of wooden furniture are contrasted with a face-brick accent wall and bold, popping prints.

The thoughtful layout of the house offers fluidity between the living area and the back yard, which contributes to the undisturbed tranquillity and warm ambience it exudes. “We were hoping to create a space with a seamless connection to the outside that invites natural light to play as it changes throughout the day,” says Jari.

And with this project complete, they set their sights on the next one, be it in Crete, the Karoo or the Bo-Kaap. We’ll be keeping tabs.

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Sculptor Justine Mahoney’s Tainted exhibition opens on 14 October 2016 at Southern Guild Gallery in Cape Town’s Woodstock.

The exhibition consists of a series of 10 bronze sculptures, each with a corresponding collage.

Focusing on the unsettling idea of schizophrenia and inner demons, her work in Tainted studies the contrast between the facades of humans, the happier and light side, with a dark uneasiness beneath the surface. “The experience of growing up in South Africa during the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s was extremely schizophrenic and it is from this period that I gather elements of inspiration,” she explains. “I have a large collection of imagery from those decades which mimic my memories, and which I turn into portraits that reflect this multifariousness. From these hack-and-bash collages, seemingly teenage in nature, I use clay to re-form the past and recall fears, dreams, nightmares and aspirations.”

Justine also explores themes such as imagination, fantasy and child-like wonder, translated from her previous exhibition Innocence through to this new instalment.

“As Justine’s confidence as an artist grows, her subject matter becomes more enticing and thought-provoking, reflecting South African culture in a dark mirror,” explains Southern Guild co-director Julian McGowan. “This exhibition takes you to a familiar but unsettling place – it is Malice in Wonderland.”

Tainted will run from 14 October to 18 November 2016 at the Southern Guild Gallery in Cape Town. The gallery is located at 10 Lewin Street, Woodstock and is open Monday to Friday from 10am – 5pm.

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Cape Town decor and accessories brand Zana has just moved in to their brand new studio space in Cape Town’s Woodstock.

“We began our hunt for a new space mid last year,” explains the team on their blog. “We were quite picky. We had learnt what we wanted in a space after having our first office.” Having moved from a small 80 square metre office, that was home to Zana for two years, it was important that the next studio was bigger and brighter. The new 300 square metre studio forms part of a building that’s currently being refurbished.

Zana is now located at Unit 2, 20 Brickfield Road, Woodstock. Keep an eye on their website to find out when they’ll be hosting more of their exciting workshops.

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The annual That Art Fair is running at The Palms Decor and Lifestyle Centre in Woodstock, Cape Town from Thursday 18 February to Sunday 6 March 2016.

That Art Fair describe themselves as “ an affordable art fair event providing a platform for African artists who work under the radar of the traditional art establishment and who do things a little differently.”

That Art Fair features artists from across Africa and aims to create a network between buyers and sellers, with the event standing as a platform to promote interaction between artists and visitors.

Film screenings, in collaboration with Shnit Short Film Festival and Sunshine Cinema, will be held weekly in the evenings from 22 February until 27 February 2016.

Some of the top highlights for this year’s That Art Fair include:

17 February: The VIP opening event with the official opening of That Art Bar, designed by Laura Windvogel.

19 February: That Art Party

20 February: Launch of That Film Focus

27 February: Africa Art Forum

Click here for more information about That Art Fair.

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