NEW LAUNCH: SAFARI
Posted by Justin Van Breda on Jul 28th 2021
A collection of craft and design inspired by the adventure of Africa
From Cape to Cairo, Africa has weathered many storms wrought by both man and nature, but those hardships are underpinned by an unerring spirit of discovery, craft and community - shaping this awe inspiring continent into one of the most diverse places on Earth.
It is this that we aim to reflect in THE SAFARI COLLECTION, launching in July 2021- the creativity that flows over the plains and into the deltas and the rivers; the weaving, carving, crafting and creating of beautiful things from a need or necessity. One such craft is “Riempie”, made of interlaced strips of hide used to replace cane seats which, having been carefully transported all the way from Europe, burned to a fragile crisp in the African sun. Carving or whittling animal representations is something Africans have been doing for centuries and incorporating lion paw carved elements into the pieces is, for me, a fusing of an European aesthetic with an African representation.
Africa is an adventure and we hope this collection takes you on a safari across her elemental lands, and that you can smell the dust on the winds and the deep red earth, hear the whispering of the grass on the plains and the chits of the tick birds in the Acacia trees, and see the artists bent gracefully over their work, shaping every piece with an enduring passion and dedication that is the true spirit of the continent.
There are 24 pieces in THE SAFARI COLLECTION, all made in South Africa, in and around Cape Town in collaboration with amazing local artists such a Zimbabwean carver, Godfrey, who carved all the lions’ paws. The collection calls on a shared heritage and celebrates a modern, diverse and creative Africa. From the woven mohair used in the upholstery to the hides tooled and cured for the Riempie, all the materials used in the collection are sourced locally. All the pieces are made to order and customisable.
This collection is part of AFRICA, under which all of Justin Van Breda’s community projects gather. The AFRICA projects hint at where Africa came from and celebrate where it is now headed, honouring the collaborative nature and the enchanting spirit of the continent.
