He's based in this Victorian home in Brisbane that's totally worth buying the issue for, but I digress. Why I'm sharing this talented artist with you is that one of Al's projects is furniture design in collaboration with the In Africa Community Foundation. Along with artisans from Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Swaziland as well as those in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumulanga in my beloved South Africa, he creates furniture that most of us would die for.
Of his time and work in Africa, he says, "Working in Africa keeps me humble. I get rid of all the fancy fashion labels and work with amazing people who teach me so much about their crafts and cultures. Our perceptions about Third World countries are often misguided. I've always been drawn to these places in my travels; they give you a dose of reality. With this project you see progress in the villages. I can't wait to get back there."
The In African Community Foundation website is lovely, you should take a surf over there... I can't wait for their online shop to open, and I can get my excellent online shopping skills to work. Here are some of the products, with Alexander's Iscicolo chairs in the middle right.
Very inspiring stuff.
I am off for the weekend, and will only be back sometime next week... see you soon!
2 comments:
Thanks for this inspiration. And I'm totally with you on the Aus Vogue. They manage to be marvellously high-end and totally down-to-earth all at once. Brill.
So true, Ms Moore. I find myself reading it, not only because they feature gorgeous stuff, but because it seems the light in Aus is similar to SA... not sure if you've travelled up North, but the light is so different here, as are the colors, the feel. I like it, but I like to get my fix of strong southern light every now and then (and its cheaper than a plane ticket!)
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