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This month, fashion designer Rich Mnisi had his furniture design debut at Southern Guild’s Extra Ordinary group exhibition at its gallery in Cape Town’s Silo District.
Consisting of a chaise and a stool, the collection is titled Nwa-Mulamula, after his late great-grand mother.
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The piece represents a guardian and was showcased in Lagos in October last year, and stands as a physical representation of Nwa-Mulamula as the 'ever-present guardian', whose teachings live on through storytelling generation after generation, he says in an Instagram post.
"The chaise, which takes the shape of Nwa-Mulamula’s body in the form of a navy leather couch, presents her presence and long-lasting teachings, and the stool, in the shape of an eye with gold puddles, represents her tears, which were never in vain.
"Without her pain and her experiences I wouldn’t exist,“ he says.
WATCH: Rich Mnisi on building a fresh fashion brand in South Africa
The specially commissioned pieces forms part of a group show of multi-disciplinary artists and the exhibition will run until April 16th this year after which some of the pieces will travel to be showcased internationally.
What's great about that, is that it creates a bigger platform for people to enjoy his work.
The pieces are all in celebration of Southern Guild’s decade-long journey of pioneering collectible design in South Africa.
Other ceramic artists include Zizipho Poswa and Madoda Fani.
Sculptors Daniella Mooney and Stanislaw Trzebinski have also made their mark on the design scene.
And newcomers such as 3D illustrator Ferdi B. Dick have left a bold imprint with his bronze and wooden structures.
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We especially love this rocking chair outside the Silo District.
Other local designers that did Africans proud include Rwandan architect Christian Benimana and Senegalese fashion designer, Selly Raby Kane, whose multifaceted, designs are a favourite of international stars such as Beyoncé and Rihanna.
WATCH: The next generation of African architects and designers | Christian Benimana
Thanks to an initiative started by Design Indaba SA, the designers, along with other South African and African designers, are said to be collaborating with popular Swedish furniture retail company IKEA on their 2019 home décor collection.
Onwards and upwards!
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