By Marica

I have to confess, I did not enjoy this year’s Design Indaba as much as I did previous years. Not because it was any less inspiring or amazing but because I was trying very hard to suppress a bad case of mutant sinusitis/flu. You know, the kind that laughs in the face of antibiotics.

A took a rather fevered (pun intended) rush through the Expo space and tried to absorb as much beauty as possible. It was also good to finally put friendly faces to some of the local creatives we’ve cheered for in the past – the talented ladies behind Touchee Feelee and Handmade By Me for instance.

As always I lingered around the Emerging Creatives section – they did not disappoint!

Here are some of my favs…

Ash Ceramics:

I adored the colourful ceramic pieces by Cape Town-based artist Catherine Ash. Her handmade range included delicate tortoise shells sculpted from porcelain and interesting ceramic wall installations. However, my favourite part of her vibrant range was the contemporary collection of plates, bowls, vases and mugs which featured striking trendy geometric patterns in bold colours.

Ash Ceramics:  website  |  facebook page

Maria Magdalena:

Ag, you know I can’t resist quirky illustrations – of course I fell head-over-heels for these detailed black ink beauties by Maria Magdalena van Wyk! En dan het sy so mooi Afrikaanse naam ook nog (I too come from a loooong line of Maria Magdalena’s and Maria Johanna Catharina’s – guess what “Marica” is short for…)

Each line drawing takes inspiration from Van Wyk’s life, such as poetry, strong female influences or her favourite songs. She sells these limited edition illustration prints through her eponymous company, Maria Magdalena.

Maria Magdalena:  website  |  facebook page

Kiara Gounder:

I know we rarely touch fashion here at The Tabloid – it’s not really our bag – we’re all about the décor. However, the stunning creations by fashion design graduate Kiara Gounder had me drooling! The structured clothing pieces were beautifully sleek, edgy yet elegant. The real showstopper however was a jaw-dropping 3D printed neckpiece that seems incredibly delicate and detailed.

Kiara has been exploring the potential of 3D printing in fashion. For this particular range she sought inspiration from microscopic images of fossils, plant cells and insect cells for inspiration for the detailed patterning.