Notes

This is the 3rd production of the Hlabisa Bench, the 2nd of which was purchased by The Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou in Paris.

It is the first South African object to enter the Design section of the Centre Pompidou, of great importance for the museum's collections because of its collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, at the crossroads of craft and design, local traditions and recent technologies" (Oliver Zeitoun, Curator at the Centre Pompidou).

"Craft is the new luxury. We spend all day staring at our screens, so that when we come across something tactile and handmade, we're intrigued. But, at the same time, craft in SA has become kitsch and commoditised. We want to bring design back to craft; to access the depth of understanding that has been instilled over years and therefore cannot be easily replicated. It's about preventing the stagnation of craft; taking this magnificent tradition and making it new again. And that's what's going to ensure its sustainability." ^1. (Stephen Wilson, 2019)

^1. Lisa Witepski (2019) ‘Design collab sparks a new beginning for an ancient KwaZulu-Natal craft’ Home & Gardening, Sunday Times, 7 July 2019.