Estate Living Magazine Invest SA - Issue 41 May 2019 | Page 63

g O O d
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The world is ready, she says. ‘People want to hear our voice.
They have a deep need to know more about who we are, and the
designers’ pieces are a precious gateway to the sharing of the
diverse cultures that make up the Rainbow Nation.’
As designer Mpho Vackier, whose ‘Afro-contempo’ chair was a big
hit in Milan, says, ‘I design authentic African furniture with a global
appeal.’
Designer Thabisa Mjo, who designed the concept for the exhibit –
an architectural installation piece that takes the form of a room-sized
pod – says she had something close to an epiphany in Milan: ‘I learnt
we are good enough. That we can compete on the world stage.’
Housing and education
The launch of design spaces like the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary
Art Africa in Cape Town in 2017 has also helped to give design a local
address, becoming a hub for collectors both local and international.
Trevyn McGowan says she and her husband, Julian McGowan, co-
founders of Southern Guild, make a point of educating the global
world about SA design: ‘Every time we exhibit at an international art
fair, we tell the stories that went into making each piece and what
inspired the artist. We have these conversations with collectors and
curators, in our printed catalogues, and in panel discussions and
interviews with the media.
‘But the biggest advertising for South African design is the work
itself.’
Vic Yards
E
Wiid Design
Meyer von Wielligh, Oceans Drinks Cabinet, photo Adriaan Louw
Nia Magoulianiti-McGregor