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The best of African design : Red bowl by Gone Rural (Swaziland) -
The best of African design : Yellow steel cabinet by Ousmane Mbaye (Senegal) -
The best of African design : Multi-coloured cabinet by Hamed Outara (Burkina Faso) -
The best of African design : Chair by by Babacar M’Bodj Niang (Senegal) -
The best of African design : Cushion by Jenny Gifford (SA) -
The best of African design : Hanging lamp by Willowlamp (SA) -
The best of African design : Hats by Gareth Cowden of Babatunde (SA) -
The best of African design : Colourful flower ball light by Heath Nash (SA) -
The best of African design : White lights by Heath Nash (SA) -
The best of African design : Glass light by Kitengela Glass (Kenya) -
The best of African design : Lion by Streetwires (SA) -
The best of African design : Black ball-shaped objets by Kpando Pottery (Ghana) -
The best of African design : Bead and felt wall hanging by Bead (SA) -
The best of African design : Rasta felt work by Ronel Jordaan (SA) -
The best of African design : Robot lamp by Dokter and Misses with House on Fire (SA and Swaziland) -
The best of African design : Felt and bead wall hanging by Ida Walt (SA) -
The best of African design : Wooden animal skull by Friday Jibu at Bronze Age (SA and Malawi) -
The best of African design : Felt cloth by Ronel Jordaan (SA) -
The best of African design : Wire sofa by Haldane Martin (SA) -
The best of African design : Red chair by Cheick Diallo (Mali)
PHOTOS: Graham De Lacy | WORDS: Jacquie Myburgh
Thirty of the very top African designers from 15 countries got together for yet another exciting design event this past weekend, which saw the city playing host to the Johannesburg Art Fair as well as SA Fashion Week.
DNA, Design Network Africa, is an initiative of The Danish Centre for Culture and Development and, together with Trevyn and Julian McGowan of Source, they’re facilitating co-operation and collaboration between some of the continent’s greatest designers. This inaugural exhibition is still up for viewing until the end of Tuesday, 27 September at the main exhibition area at Arts on Main.
Adam Levin, who staged an exhibition of pan-African design during the World Cup last year, and who is one of the directors of DNA, says it’s in fact a pilot to an annual contemporary design fair.
The importance of DNA was the extraordinary high standard of beautiful, contemporary work, which was set to revolutionise the perception of African design in the global marketplace, said Trevyn and Julian. Their company, Source, is one of the leading exporters of Southern African design.
The programme members have been selected to include a range of media and geographic regions on the continent, and include many of the continent’s finest designers.
They are: Cheick Diallo (Mali), Hamed Ouattara (Burkina Faso), Ousamane M’Baye (Senegal), Aissa Dione (Senegal), Aida Duplessis (Mali), Boubacar Doumbia (Mali), Kpando Pottery (Ghana), Josephine & Kweku Forson of Tekura Designs (Ghana), Muya (Ethiopia), Gahaya Links (Rwanda), Kitengela Glass (Kenya), Mabeo (Botswana), Haldane Martin (SA), Babacar Niang (Senegal), Dokter & Misses (SA), House on Fire (Swaziland), Ronel Jordaan (SA), Imiso (SA), Okechukwu Echere (Nigeria), Adele Dejak (Kenya), Doreen Mashika (Tanzania), Heath Nash (SA) Sanaa Tamu (Tanzania), Artes Mondlane (Mozambique), Marj Wallace (Zimbabwe), Mutuba (Uganda), Marianne Montaut (Mali) Zienzele (Zimbabwe) and Gone Rural (Swaziland).
According to Source, as a better understanding is gained of each member company and their unique needs and requirements, specific work will be done to assist with product development, marketing, business acumen, production capabilities and other areas that would benefit from assistance. In a grassroots, business-focused approach, the DNA programme will aim to aid each member company in the specific area that they most require assistance, rather than a generalised approach to problem solving.
More information: www.designnetworkafrica.org.
