Events Archives - atelier 55 - The Curator of Contemporary African Design

Nirox Sculpture Park South Africa Tounche Global Consciousness Summit Atelier Fifty Five Feature

Nurture Mind, Body And Soul At The Tounche Global Consciousness Summit

Despite being the season of peace and goodwill to all, December can be one of the most stressful times of the year, as we get caught up in the finishing of work, hitting those goals before the new year, and of course the flurry of activity that comes with the social aspect of the season. So rather apt for this time of year is the annual Tounché Global Consciousness Summit. Taking place just outside of Johannesburg, South Africa at the Nirox Sculpture Park in The Cradle of Humankind on Saturday 8th December 2018 the Summit is all about a facilitating a […]

Tongoro Made In Africa - Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair

Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair Presents The 2017 Well Made In Africa Exhibitors

Earlier this year, I was honoured to have been appointed the guest curator for the prestigious Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair’s Well Made in Africa showcase. 2017 introduces a new, exquisite selection of Well Made in Africa exhibitors from the continent under the curatorship of Tapiwa Matsinde, author of Contemporary Design Africa. Tapiwa presents a selection that is anchored in heritage & modernity. This year Sanlam HmC will host the work of a dynamic group of designers who have been chosen for their innovative use of Africa’s diverse craft heritages to create modern sophisticated products for contemporary living. And with […]

Art Decor Design Events South Africa

Le BHV Marais Paris Celebrates South African Art and Design

Paris is having a love affair with all things contemporary Africa design, fashion, culture, and lifestyle. First is was Africa as the guest of honour at the Paris Art Fair held in March/April, then Africa Now at the Galeries Lafayette shopping destination, and now the iconic department store Le BHV Marais in the heart of the historic and trendy Marais district, which dedicates almost two months to celebrating contemporary South African art and design and culture.

Decor Design Events South Africa Textiles

Events: Chic Afrique Interior Design Inspiration at 100% Design South Africa

100% Design South Africa [South Africa] [Image credit: Picture Africa – 100% Design SA] August heralds the start of the global design exhibition season, which runs for several months. In Johannesburg 100% Design South Africa, billed as the go-to interior design show for all things African design will run from the 5th-9th August. Now in its third year 100% Design South Africa will channel continental African cool with its abundance of contemporary ‘Chic Afrique’ content.

Design Ethiopia Events

Events: Celebrating Ethiopian Contemporary Design and Creative Cultures

Design Week Addis Ababa [Ethiopia] [Image credits: Design Week Addis Ababa] Design Week Addis Ababa (DWAA) is the latest edition to Africa’s wider creative calendar. The annual event launches this weekend – 12-13 December – at the Mosaic Hotel near Bole Medhanealem, Addis Ababa. DWAA is the initiative of creative director Metasebia Yoseph who seeks to shine the spotlight on Ethiopia’s contemporary creative talent, from technology, fashion and textiles, food and gastronomy, architecture, industrial design, interiors, graphic design, and art.

Design Events South Africa

Event: Discussing Contemporary African Design and Craft at Open Design, Cape Town

Bibliophilia Open Design Book Boutique at Open Design Festival [South Africa] [Image credit: Invitation to Open Design book Boutique Discussion] Join myself and South African author, Elbe Coetsee on Tuesday 18th August 2015 as we discuss contemporary African design, craft and our recent publications, Craft Art in South Africa (Jonathan Ball) and Contemporary Design Africa (Thames & Hudson) respectively. Elbé will be there in person to answer questions, and I will be joining in over Skype from London. The event is part of The Open Design Book Boutique at the Open Design Cape Town Festival. More details to follow. Details:Tuesday, […]

Awards Events South Africa

Awards: PPC Imaginarium, Nurturing the Creative Talent of the Future

PPC Imaginarium [South Africa] [Image credit: PPC Imaginarium Awards] The Imaginarium Awards, an ambitious modern art, and design awards were launched by PPC Ltd with the aim of promoting and supporting South Africa’s emerging creative talent. The competition invited entries across six categories: film, industrial design, fashion, jewellery, architecture and sculpture. Winners of the inaugural event were announced in January 2015. The winners were:

Art Culture Events Exhibitions

Exhibition: Africa Utopia 2014

Africa Utopia Africa Utopia returns to London’s Southbank Centre this week. Taking place over four days from Thursday 11 September 2014 – Sunday 14 September 2014, the festival is a celebration of arts and culture from Africa and the African Diaspora. From concerts to art installations the festival looks at how African art and ideas changing the world for the better, enabling visitors to explore areas including culture, community, technology, fashion, sustainability, and ethical wealth creation. There will also be the Africa Utopia Food Market, and Market Place offering art, homeware, fashion, and accessories to purchase.

Africa Awards Events

Awards: Celebrating Contemporary Design in Africa

Africa Design Award [Africa] [Image credit: Africa Design Award Logo – Africa Design Award] The inaugural Africa Design Award prize ceremony was held on the 25th May in Libreville, Gabon, as part of the prestigious New York Forum Africa 2014 event. Founded by award-winning Moroccan creator, designer, and architect Hicham Lahlou, the Africa Design Award is a visionary initiative to celebrate and fly the flag for contemporary design and innovation across the Continent in all its forms. The ceremony saw some of the Continent’s leading, and emerging designers and creative organisations scoop top honours, with the overall prize going to Design Network […]

Africa Events Messages And Musings

Events: New Year. New Inspirations.

[Image credit: Africa is Now – The Design Indaba Expo] As 2014 gets underway, it brings with it the promise of another great year for African design, music, fashion, art and all-round creative inspiration. 2014 sees Cape Town, South Africa take on the mantle of World Design Capital, bringing with it a whole host of events; and late 2013 saw Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo elected a UNESCO Creative City, designated the ‘City of Music’, and in doing so becomes the first African member of the Creative Cities Network launched by Unesco in 2004.

Events Fashion

Events: From Kenya w Love Pop Up

Event: From Kenya w Love/Sapellé – London Pop Up [Image credit: Sapelle and FAFA Kenya Pop Up – Atelier Fifty-Five] On Tuesday evening I braved the cold and made my way towards Covent Garden, Monmouth Street to be exact, where fashion boutique, Sapellé was holding a press evening to celebrate their pop-up in collaboration with the Festival for African Fashion and Arts (FAFA Kenya). A lovely evening, in attendance, was Daphne Kasambala founder of Sapellé; Ann McCreath, the co-founder of FAFA Kenya and the Kenyan fashion label KikoRomeo; and Hebret Lakew of Kenyan fashion label, Kooroo, all on hand to chat about their work.

Cameroon Events Textiles

Textile: Julie Kouamo Pop Up

JULIE KOUAMO [Cameroon] [Image credits: Julie Kouamo Pop Up – taken by Tapiwa] Textile and interior accessories designer Julie Kouamo launched her first-ever pop-up store last night in London’s Camden, with a private view. Located at the Camden Collective, the pop up is open to the public from today 2nd October until Sunday 6th October. On display are Julie’s signature collections across a range of soft furnishings, lampshades, wallpaper, wrapping paper, notebooks, and furniture, with products available to purchase or place orders. Throughout the duration of the pop-up, Julie is on hand to discuss her collections and any requirements you may […]

Events Messages And Musings

Creative Conversations: Digital by Design at the V&A

Digital by Design Sessions It has proved to be an exceptionally busy week, and I have been spending quite a bit of time either moderating, or thinking about issues surround creativity for Visible by Design’s Digital by Design sessions running simultaneously at the V&A’s Sackler Centre, the hub for the London Design Festival, and online. We have had attendees logging on from Kenya and Hungary and the sessions are open to anyone whether you are a creative or not, Wednesday session was joined by a medical student who brought her insight into how she uses creativity to the discussion.

Events Messages And Musings

Events: Visible by Design at the V&A Museum

Visible by Design The sports have finished and now London turns its attention to celebrating design when the annual London Design Festival kicks off with a series of events running from 14th September-23 September 2012. This year the event is marking ten years of celebrating design, and fittingly the central hub will be based at the dynamic V&A Museum, home to the award-winning Sackler Centre, whose space will see inspirational women designers coming together to discuss the creative process through a combined series of design workshops in the Design Lab in partnership with (Global Color Research), interactive sessions in Digital by Design and […]

Art Egypt Events Textiles

Textiles: The Tentmakers of Cairo at Art in Action 2012

The Tentmakers of Cairo [Egypt] Today sees the start of Art in Action a four-day annual celebration of art, artists and designers that has been running in the Oxfordshire countryside since 1977. Promoting diversity in creative disciplines, regions, and cultures participation is by invite only and sees about 400 artists, designer-makers, teachers, performers, and musicians demonstrating and selling their creations to art lovers. Grouped into sections according to discipline. In the Commonwealth Art section Chapungu Sculpture Park is showcasing the work of, and presenting demonstrations from some of Zimbabwe’s master stone sculptors.