Taking place over four days, Cape Town Furniture Week returned for its second year exhibiting an exciting array of local design talent.
Cape Town Furniture Week returned for its second year showcasing a wealth of local design talent. Photography: Cape Town Furniture Week / Slater Studio
Words by Roddy Clarke
Earlier this month, Cape Town Furniture Week gathered creatives from across the region to celebrate the depth of local talent while showcasing a wide array of furniture, lighting, and objects presented by South African studios and designers. Following on from its inauguration in 2023, this year saw an expansion with 25 venues taking part across four different districts within the city. And, with it free to attend, both industry and public visitors enjoyed the immersive experience that it offered with group exhibitions, showroom collaborations and gallery settings providing a dynamic mix of backdrops for the wealth of design on display.
Studios and showrooms across the city opened their doors, including Lemon who displayed its new Rambling Chair designed by Yaniv Chen. Photography: Cape Town Furniture Week / Slater Studio
Founded by creative duo Gareth and Aimée Pearson, the intention behind the event is not only to act as a vehicle for design but also to foster and build a sense of community within the country’s creative sector. Through celebrating the innovation and talent that makes up its vibrant design industry, it is wonderful to see the work coming together in a physical format allowing a wider audience to interact with it. This year also saw the introduction of the CTFW Awards, spanning the three design categories as well as an award for Best Display and a Best in Show category, voted for by the public. Accompanying the four-day celebration was an exciting programme of events which included studio tours, workshops, and panel discussions, giving visitors a deeper insight into the workings of the city’s creative scene.”We will definitely expand the programme for 2025,” states Gareth. “And we hope to see the event establish itself as a standout on the global design week calendar over the coming years, becoming a platform through which international design brands can engage and collaborate with African designers.”
While a vast array of talent was on display, here are five highlights:
New Design Exhibition
The New Design Exhibition was the hub of the week, featuring a collective showcase of designs from the region’s designers and studios. Photography: Cape Town Furniture Week / Slater Studio
Located in the city’s Habitus building, which acted as the main hub for the programme, this collective exhibition featured a variety of unique objects, furniture, and lighting designs for the home. Conceived by South African brands and designers, each design gave visitors a glimpse into the variety of design aesthetics and practices offered across the city. From contemporary furniture designs by MÜVEK, an immersive sound and lighting experience from Kramer to the sculptural aesthetics of Wiid Design and the refined elegance of James Mudge Furniture Studio, it enabled viewers to interact directly with the pieces making it a great starting point from which to explore from.
N I S H x HAN Collaboration Launch
The striking collaboration between HAN and N I S H resulted in an exquisite display where the work of both designers seamlessly complemented the other. Photography: Cape Town Furniture Week / Slater Studio
With design collaborations often resulting in unique results and exciting dynamics, this partnership did not disappoint seeing them win the award for the Best Display category. Bringing together the sculptural ceramic work of Hannah Massey and the contemporary elegance of Tanisha Neill’s furniture and fashion creativity, it certainly became one of the top highlights of the week. Taking place in the central showroom of HAN, it featured a variety of collaborative works including a wooden wall-mounted lighting sconce and a hand-carved wooden lamp with a Gingham patterned shade which took centre stage in the showroom’s window display. On the opening night the duo also added an immersive touch by hosting local artist Riley Axon, who carried out a live painting session using the surface of a new floor lamp by N I S H as the canvas.
The duo’s elegant window display which showcased the collaboration superbly, winning them the award of ‘Best Display’. Photography: Cape Town Furniture Week / Slater Studio
The Keiskamma Arts Project x David Krynauw Design presented by Clout/SA
Bursting with pattern and colour, the presentation by Clout/SA brought together local designers and art initiatives in a unique and immersive way.
Taking residence in the Sisonke Gallery of the Cape Heritage Hotel, this stand-out exhibition brought together an exquisite display of pattern, print and craft ingenuity from the partners and artisans featured. Clout/SA, the creative force behind the Nando’s Design Programme, displayed the striking textiles of the Keiskamma Art Project, which was presented as wallpaper by Cara Saven Wall Design and as bedlinen on a curvaceous and remarkable four-poster bed by South African woodworker David Krynauw. Winning the Furniture Design Award, the bed was also accompanied by a matching chair and table – all expertly handcrafted from offcuts. The gallery space also featured the work of several other designers including new woven lighting designs by Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio.
Studio KÁJA
Studio KAJA presented new designs in the elegant setting of Rosetta Roastery. Photography: @notanderson.photo
One of the city’s most promising emerging talents, Simoné Lategan is the creative force behind Studio KÁJA and, after opening its doors last year, showcased new designs in the beautiful setting of Rosetta Roastery café. Alongside the studio’s Noah chair, two new seating collections were on display radiating the sophisticated aesthetic that the designer brings to her work. With a focus on sustainability, through the materials and responsible production practices used with its manufacturing partner Pierre Cronje, the designs oozed class and certainly proved that conscious creativity does not mean a compromise on style.
HUT Competition by Always Welcome
Always Welcome displayed a preview of its exciting HUT competition, which sees designers repurposing the recognisable colourful panels of Muizenberg’s iconic beach huts. Photography: Cape Town Furniture Week / Slater Studio
As part of the retailer’s launch of its new AW/AGILE platform, the HUT competition sees the reimagination of discarded materials leftover following the renovation of Muizenberg’s iconic beach huts. In an open call to local designers, the company invited creatives to submit designs for a limited-edition collection using the reclaimed colourful wooden boards with the first installation taking place on the rooftop of the Habitus building. The HUT Vanity unit by local design duo Kino, showcased an innovative reuse of the materials while also alluding to the future opportunities that could come from the project. With the final exhibition of the project’s winning pieces to be displayed at this year’s 100 Percent Design Africa, this initial launch exuded hope and optimism as viewers witnessed the circularity on display and the retailer’s continual support of local and regional design.
The full list of exhibitors at Cape Town Furniture Week can be seen here.
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