African Design, Art, Culture and Lifestyle Books
Unless you have been living under a rock, the visual spectacular that is Black Panther has set popular culture alight with its imaginative portrayal of a futuristic African continent had it been untouched by colonialism. From the costumes, use of local languages to incorporating traditional cultures and customs, Black Panther seeks to celebrate and respect
Last year we were contacted by E! Entertainment Africa who, having seen our book Fashion Illustration Africa, were looking to partner with fashion illustrators and feature their work on the set of their new reality show, How Do I Look South Africa.
South African product designer and managing craftsman, Vusani Ravele won the hearts of TV viewers following his appearance on Shark Tank South Africa. Vusani shares with us the impact securing investment has had on developing his business Native Decor, the challenges and rewards of growing a sustainable creative business, the importance of preparedness, having passion and believing
Ichyulu is a Nairobi based fashion retail platform that specialises in connecting consumers with African fashion. We caught up with the company to learn more about the African fashion retail industry and get her thoughts on the opportunities and advice for fashion designers looking to stock through retail outlets. 1. Please introduce yourself, and
Thabisa Mjo the founder of Mash T. Design Studio in Johannesburg was a winner of the Nandos Young Hot Designer in 2016, wowing the judges with her show-stopping Tutu 2.0 pendant light, inspired by the Xibelani skirt worn by Tsonga women. Thabisa’s work is a mix of modern design and a celebration of culture referenced in
The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (MOCAA), which opened in Cape Town in 2017 not only features the work of African artists in permanent and temporary exhibitions across its 80 white cube galleries but also has specially commissioned permanent artworks incorporated as part of the building itself. One of these commissions doubled as MOCAA’s
Global interest in all things Africa continues to grow thanks in part to dedicated exhibitions and events that help to introduce the continent’s diverse offerings to new audiences. In the UK Pop Up Africa is one such series of events, usually comprising a mix of vibrant market and delectable food stalls, and where we had
Bold, colourful and intricate patterns can be found throughout African design that reaches back through the centuries. And pattern continues to influence modern design emerging from and inspired by the continent. With the skies grey and overcast, we sought to brighten our spirits with some of the patterns, colours filling our social media feeds, so invite
Whenever we are out and about with our books meeting members of the public one of the top questions we receive is ‘so how do I submit a proposal for my book idea?/how do I get my book published?’. It is said that everyone has a book within them, and for first-timers taking your book
As we highlighted in a previous post Adinkra symbols are a much-referenced communication system that has endured to present day. Adinkra symbols carry within them centuries of wisdom and are among one of the African continent’s oldest writing systems. The symbols have inspired designers and artists the world over who have drawn on the distinctive graphic
Adinkra symbols are an ancient Asante writing system, identified by the decorative, graphic forms making up each symbol. There are said to be over 100 Adinkra symbols in existence, each based on wise teachings, proverbs and folk stories that have been handed down through the generations and added to over time. Adinkra symbols served to
The 22nd September 2017 saw the opening of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (Zeitz MOCAA), in Cape Town, South Africa, heralded as being the first major institution on the African continent dedicated to collecting, researching and preserving the art of contemporary Africa and its diaspora.