‘STITCHED, A STORY OF OUR HOME’
The quintessentially African scene depicts a rich landscape of trees, lush vegetation and birds such as Grey Herons and Little Egrets that feature prominently in the Kei River Estuary in Hamburg, rendered in the inimitable embroidery style of the Keiskamma Art Project artisans.
CLOUT/SA COLLABORATES WITH KEISKAMMA ART PROJECT
Along the edge of the Indian Ocean, on a strip better known as the Sunshine Coast – roughly halfway between Port Alfred and East London – sits the idyllic seaside village of Hamburg.
Be it the rolling hills blanketed by indigenous vegetation that define the drive to Hamburg, or the bird life in the area, or the Keiskamma River estuary that welcomes you into the village, the area is arguably one of the most beautiful parts of the Eastern Cape.
It is also home to the multi-award winning Keiskamma Art Project (KAP), which was founded by Dr Carol Hofmeyer. Over the past 23 years, the project has produced major embroidered textile artworks, made by the women and men of Hamburg, sharing their stories and experiences, as well as bringing to visual life the oral history tradition of the Eastern Cape.
Now, three artists from the project, namely Anelisa Nyongo, Nozibele Nxadi, and project director Cebo Mvubu, have lent their skills and their particular aesthetic to a design collection facilitated by Clout/SA, a purpose driven creative agency and business-to-business market maker that facilitates opportunities for collaboration between designer-makers and corporate clients.
Their celebrated and often large scale embroidered artworks typically explore personal narratives – experiences good and bad – while fiercely confronting South Africa’s history as well as the successes and failures of present-day South Africa.
This design collection takes a moment to celebrate the landscape, fauna and flora of Hamburg.
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
With curatorial guidance from Clout/SA’s creative director, Tracy Lynch, the artists were challenged to create an embroidered piece that referenced what a scenic and quintessentially South African wallpaper might look like.
The intention was to allow the embroidery style of the KAP artists to be expressed as a printed scenic wallpaper, as well as a collection of compatible printed textiles.
The process started off with initial sketches, followed by a completed medium scale embroidery, and then high resolution scans to generate the image quality needed to support the commercial applications in a manner associated with quality and luxury.
The seed was initially planted in Lynch’s mind when she first visited Hamburg some three years ago:
“I was introduced to a group of mostly women, young and old, that gather daily in a rondavel to stitch together stories that reveal aspects of their geographical, spiritual and communal experience. It’s hard to put into words why this creative community is so significant, but one thing that comes to the surface in conversation with all that are lucky enough to visit, is that this place and the people that gently piece together beautiful imagery help us to learn and grow” – Tracy Lynch
“What really got me excited was that this process forced us out of our comfort zone. It showed us that we could effectively use messaging apps and create work remotely even with international collaborators. Going forward, we can now challenge ourselves to not be limited by our location in the rural Eastern Cape; we can work with anyone anywhere in the world” – Cebo Mvubu.
The striking results were unveiled at 100% Design South Africa in August 2023, where the designs were showcased on wallpaper, as well as on a bench, chairs, scatter cushions and bolster cushions.
HOW TO PURCHASE
The velvet upholstery fabric is available to purchase.Architects and interior designers will be asked to register as trade. Non trade buyers will need to order through their preferred architect or interior designer.
For the fabric – Clout/SA, ‘Stitched, A Story of Our Home’.
For the wallpaper – Cara Saven Wall Design
Acknowledgement:Clout/SA