Jack Markovitz is a director and photographic artist based in Johannesburg. His work is built on a deep trust between him and his subjects, with an aim to create honest, archival depictions of the world as he sees it. His award-winning films and photographs have been shown in Berlin, Barcelona, Mexico City, Johannesburg, Netherlands, New York, Paris and London.
Khumo Morojele is a designer and art director whose work centers on upcycling and sustainable design. His latest project, “I <3 Jozi,” reinterprets the classic “I <3 NY” tee by using thrifted materials to create unique, handmade shirts. This project merges nostalgia with purpose, turning a global icon into a deeply personal expression of Jo’burg identity and its culture of reuse and reinvention.
Thato Nzimande is a creative director and stylist whose work embodies building a world of speculative African surrealism through the use of historical and present iconography. Her projects are deeply informed by her bi-continental perspective, with an aesthetic that bridges African sensibilities and contemporary global pop culture influences.
Klein Muis, born Aidan Jayson Peters, stands as an award-winning designer, focused on fashion design and product design. Muis’ artistic journey is guided by a commitment to a research-driven, design ethos. Rooted in the belief that innovation arises from a deep understanding of culture and conflict. Klein Muis endeavors to prioritize problem-solving through the reinvention of established norms. Each garment, every product, and every idea carries the weight of purpose, addressing challenges in a sustainable manner and leaving an indelible mark on the intersection of art and functionality.
Francesco Mbele is a multidisciplinary artist based in Johannesburg. Everything can be transformed, deformed and obliterated by light, through Francesco Mbele’s practice he uses it as his paint brush for image making. Mbele’s work straddles between the fine line of pop culture and social commentary, as he attempts to straddle it like the untrained horse it is.
Oratile Papi Konopi is a multi-disciplinary visual artist, curator, and exhibition maker from Johannesburg. Konopi’s practice poeticizes and highlights the nuances of everyday lived experiences of often-overlooked subjects. Through his artistic body of work, Ênê, an anthology of artworks that invite people to think and talk about the complexities of themes such as identity, gender and sexuality, romance, and faith. Exploring how these experiences are mediated through language & culture. Through his work, Konopi listens to stories and narrates allegories of what it is/ was/ could to be yourself in place(s) that are diverse and in constant change.
Kutlwano Makwela is a Johannesburg-based artist whose sculptural practice combines metalwork and storytelling through reclaimed materials. Her work often focuses on the power of women and ancestral knowledge, transforming industrial waste into figures that embody memory and spirituality.
Curated by Nkhensani Mkhari
Produced by Zano Nkosi
Producer + Artist manager Neo Lekhu
@kwamischronicles / @papikonopi / @franadilla / @thegmni / @kmorojele / @klnmuis / @jackmarkovitz / @neothebabe / @zanonkosi / @nkhensanimkhari
Imagery by Jack Markovitz
Collaborators and sponsors: @bose / @respect_your_elders / @primalspirits / @shanticullis / @franasonic / @frndly_sa / @iheartjozi / @primalspiritsdistillery
Where : Victoria Yards, 16 Viljoen Street, Lorentzville
Open the Design Week South Africa map
When :
Exhibition, 10 October, 10 – 4pm, 11 October 10 – 4pm.
Talks, 10 October 3 – 4pm, register to attend, 11 October 10 – 4pm, register to attend.