Alex Dodd
The latest salvo in that grand old struggle to make South Africans wake up to the fact that local really can be the lekkerest is an initiative called Beyond the Pale, aimed at the support and promotion of designer-makers.
For the uninitiated, “designer-makers” are people who not only design but also love getting their hands dirty. “Until recently the majority of South Africans have been fairly oblivious to the fact that we too have designers who produce work … that can stand proud among the best in the world,” says Ira Bekker, the force behind the first local exhibition of this kind which took place in November last year.
Fifteen designer-makers exhibited pieces ranging from neo-ethnic ceramic bowls and aluminium lights to beautifully crafted metal framed mirrors, wood and steel lamps, fused glass bowls, wood and steel chopping blocks, playful iconic lights and unique silver jewellery. The response was good – there was a “tremendous appreciation” for the work, says Bekker.
This latest show, which will include fresh works by some of the same people as well as some new artists, will be opening on February 24 at 8pm and running for the following day only. You’ll find the show at Media Mill, the Mail & Guardian’s new renovated factory block at 7 Quince Road, Milpark. For more info call (082) 898-2762 or e-mail