Majestic Wire Beaded Mirrors and Interior Decor Pieces

Attending a design trade show I stopped by a stand showcasing contemporary southern African designers and their work. Gracing one of the walls of the stand was a striking black and white beaded mirror. Hard to miss at around 1m in diameter it was a statement piece of design and craftsmanship.

I soon found out that the artist behind the work was Bishop Tarambaramwe, a master at handcrafting wire and bead sculptures. Born and raised in Zimbabwe Bishop is now based in Cape Town, South Africa where he founded his business, Master Wire and Bead Craft. His passion for all things beads and wire sculpting began as a young boy when he would spend time with his friends turning beads and wire into toys to play with.

Moving to South Africa Bishop began creating and selling wire sculptures on the streets as a way of earning a living. His gifted hands created majestic pieces including animals and birds that were popular with tourists. Bishop’s talent and creations caught the attention of local organisations and he was offered a stall at Cape Town’s prestigious V&A Waterfront’s craft market and support from The Craft + Design Institute. These opportunities helped transformed his craft and business from tourist items to high-end collectible art, design and decor pieces.

Working with glass beads, monochromatic gradient colour palattes are a signature Master Wire and Bead Craft style. Bishop draws inspiration from his childhood memories of doing things such as herding cattle, the stippled effect seen on his aforementioned black and white mirror are reflective of the markings seen on Nguni cowhides.

Master Wire and Bead Craft transforming beads into collectible works of art.

Additional information:

For further information about Master Wire and Bead Craft visit: https://masterwiresbeadcraft.co.za

[Image credits: The images shown belong to Master Wire and Bead Craft. If downloaded and used elsewhere please credit accordingly.]