Bubblegum Club

Author: Marcia Elizabeth

  • Investigating the Diasporic Condition through Architecture // Emanuel Admassu

    Emanuel Admassu was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and is a founding partner of the AD-WO design practice based between Brooklyn and Providence together with Jen Wood. With over five years of teaching experience in multiple programs at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation as well as at Rhode Island School of Design, Admassu has a resilient commitment to research. His recent body of work examined the constructed identities of urban markets in East Africa. Admassu is involved in the investigation of prospects and difficulties associated with the diasporic condition that is implemented through his research, teaching and design practice. In my interview with Admassu he tells me more about his background, research, as well as his involvement in African Mobilities.

    Can you tell me more about your design practice, AD-WO?

    We have been working on projects of various scales positioned throughout the world. A lot of it is driven by our discipline’s need to negotiate between radically different sensibilities. We are currently working on several projects in Ethiopia, that requires a lot of traveling and collaboration with local practices, cultures, building techniques and zoning codes. This forces us to develop different ways of communicating and materializing our ideas, and also challenges us to constantly learn from these contexts in order to develop a more ethical practice that works against the legacy of our discipline as an extension of imperialism.

    We are interested in understanding architecture as the difference between its content and container. Therefore, for each project we have to carefully define what to absorb from the cultural and physical context and also what to introduce into that context.

    You are engaged with investigating the opportunities and problems associated with the diasporic condition through your research, teaching and design practice, have come to any conclusions on the topic thus far?

    I moved to the US as a teenager, and have been oscillating back and forth between my identity as an Ethiopian immigrant living in the US and an American citizen visiting Ethiopia. This instability has been highly productive for my research and design practices. I am part of a growing number of African immigrants living elsewhere, while focusing on African issues through their creative production.

    This diasporic condition is creating interesting types of artists and designers who are able to consistently question and challenge how the continent is represented. This issue of mobility is not unique to Africans. I teach at a private institution in North America, where the student body is made up of a growing number of international students. Therefore, this idea of designing and thinking from afar is an integral part of my pedagogy. These are students who are being trained in the Western context with hopes of contributing to their places of origin.

    Photography by Elad Sarig, Tel Aviv Museum of Art

    What kind of conversations are taking place in your region relating to urban planning and architecture?

    There are lots of debates about what it means to be a global architect today. We are currently experiencing an intensifying level of volatility, ranging from the wealth disparities in the global south, to the unapologetic bigotry that led to Trump, Brexit, etc. We have to develop strategies to resist and compromise these contemporary forms of tribalism.

    Architecture is a civic project that provides platforms for the negotiation of differences. Nevertheless, the expansion of neoliberalism is making it difficult to design genuinely public buildings. Some architects are trying to do this through speculative, self-initiated projects, while others are venturing into the realm of design/build by establishing non-profit organizations. Since we are such a young practice, we have the luxury of experimenting with all of these models.

    Do you have any new critiques on it?

    My critique is against the tendency for architectural discourse to solely operate from the realm of criticism. The projective aspects of our discipline are being left behind as architects are increasingly seduced with the production of knowledge as the only way to act politically.

    There is an honest commitment towards a heightened sense of environmental awareness. Although I am a big fan of these approaches, we are also interested in the more traditional ways of practicing architecture by analyzing and designing new spatial conditions.

    I believe the lack of agency that is currently being experienced by architects is forcing them to undermine the power of our discipline: namely our ability to manipulate physical space. It is important to operate simultaneously through design and analysis. We are interested in the production of buildings just as much as we are interested in the production of books, lectures, and exhibitions.

    How are these conversations imagining future cities?

    We are fundamentally interested in exploring the ways in which architecture can move past the developer paradigm and begin to design new forms of communality. The typological research we are doing with urban markets is driven by an ambition to identify urban formations that resonate across different political, cultural and economic contexts. It is also driven by an interest in exploring different forms of representation. We have to invent new ways of drawing and talking about cities if we really want to capture the dynamism of contemporary cities in Africa.

    Exhibition and gallery talk for Material as Social Construct as Material (MaSCaM) exhibition

    What kind of schools of thought do you follow in relation to imaging cities?

    I think we need to learn from other creative disciplines when it comes to imaging cities. The slowness of our discipline forces us to always play catchup when it comes to means of representation. But that lag also leaves ample time for selective sampling and translation. This is why we have been keen to collaborate with other visual artists.

    I am currently working on a project with an art historian, Anita Bateman, called Where is Africa? by and large, it is an extended set of conversations (through interviews and upcoming symposia) with contemporary artists who are actively engaged in representing the continent of Africa both within and outside its geographic boundaries. It has been inspiring to discover how these painters, photographers, curators, and academics are using their respective disciplines to grapple with the uncertainties of the present moment.

    Do you feel like having younger voices added to these conversations is having a positive impact and if so please explain?

    Absolutely. It’s always interesting to think about generational shifts. I enjoy having conversations with my nephews (they’re both teenagers), just to understand their cultural reference points. They have a radically different relationship with images than I do, because a large chunk of their social life happens online. The growing influence of the digital realm is somewhat disconcerting to a discipline that typically develops drawings, images and text with hopes of eventually resulting in a physical intervention. Regardless, I also think this shift opens up new opportunities to not only engage with the physical object but to also design the ways it is being mediated, disseminated, and experienced in digital space.

    How do you feel about being a part of African Mobilities?

    It was really refreshing to participate in an international event about African cities that centers African students’ interests and interpretations. It is an intelligent model for cultivating a Pan-African conversation about design and urbanism. It was also rewarding to observe what the students and artists appreciated about the city and the market.

    From the outset, it was clear that the project was designed with an awareness of the asymmetries and pitfalls associated with projects that attempt to make Africa knowable to a Western audience. The format, the premise, and the participants of African Mobilities were selected to eschew typical, myopic interpretations and clichés. Workshops followed by a series of lectures on architecture, photography, and painting allowed us to have complex and difficult conversations about disciplinary boundaries and ethical concerns. I am looking forward to the exhibition and publication!

    Below is an excerpt from animation by Ezra Wube of an on-going research project by AD–WO.

     

  • Athi-Patra Ruga // An Inclusive History with ‘Queens in Exile’

    Athi-Patra Ruga is an artist who hardly requires an introduction. Partaking in exhibitions and performances at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, The Film Will Always Be You: ‘South African Artists on Screen’ at the Tate Modern in London and the 55th Venice Biennale to name a few; the reasons behind him being considered a ground breaking South African artist is clear. Athi returns to Cape Town with a new body of work ‘Queens in Exile’ currently showing at the WHAT- IFTHEWORLD/GALLERY.

    Assuming the tropology of myth as a neoteric retort to the era of post-apartheid; Athi is a designer of non-conforming identities. Using his built-up avatars as both satire and critique on the current social and political social status quo. Alternative realities and myths are constructed in an effort to look at the traumas of colonial history over the last 200 years from a detached outlook. From this removed distance wounds of the past that still remain, can be reflected upon outside of personalized grief and defensiveness.

    Central to his practice is the philosophical magnetism and allegoric value of utopia. This mythical metaverse ensuing from his practice, has been constructed with both ease and poise. The creation and depiction of characters inhabiting Athi’s mystical realm create a space of self-reflectivity within a political, social and cultural context in which criticism and parody can be expressed. Utopia acts as an optic through which to view and process colonial history in order to provide critique on the present and pose a humanist vision for the future.

    Film still from ‘Over the Rainbow’ 2017

    ‘Queens in Exile’ came about from a desire to tell more accurate stories. Not intended as an exercise of alteration to paint over gaping holes in history; Athi unearths exclusionary national myth and collective memory. In this act, he moulds a world in which the exiled reign. A land that belongs to queens that have been lost and forgotten from our memories.

    The lives of anti-apartheid and gay rights activist Simon Nkoli, Senegalese dancer Feral Benga and Sylvia Rivera, a US transgender activist are the icons that Athi chooses to highlight. Asking his audience to question the canon with fresh eyes. His exhibition acts as a reminder of the need to enforce more accurate accounts of history inclusive of womxn and queer icons.

    A project spanning over three years comes together in ‘Queens of Exile’ and functions simultaneously as a continuation on the critically acclaimed exhibition ‘The Future White woman of Azania Saga’ in 2014. Athi’s viewer is imbedded in an immersive exhibition. A large-scale projection of ‘Over the Rainbow’ leaves you mesmerized, electrified.

    ‘The Elder’ 2015

    Hand embroidered tapestries completed with meticulous precision, elaborate foliage sets built up of flowers, flowers on flowers, golden leaves. These are the visual signifiers of an artist painstakingly unafraid of his boldness. Many of Athi’s works are works that live on past physical existence and traverse into mental existence.

    After Athi’s return from the Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris, local audiences have the opportunity to engage with the work of this internationally acclaimed artist who can only be deemed a master of his medium.

    Film still from ‘Over the Rainbow’ 2017
  • Camila Falquez – Embracing Movement, Embracing Flesh

    Camila Falquez – Embracing Movement, Embracing Flesh

    Former ballet dancer Camila Falquez was drawn to the creation of photographic narratives as its nature can sometimes be seen as a sort of interpretive dance. A frozen image of the movement of the human body within a photographic frame evokes an enveloping emotion, drawing its viewer to closer inspection and attachment. Experiencing her limitations of self-expression in ballet, Camilla disliked the technical rules of the art form. The artists born in Mexico City and raised in Barcelona, shifted her medium of expression to that of the photographic lens of a dancer.

    Camilla is a self-taught image-maker who kicked off her professional career as the assistant to street style photographer Scott Schuman. As time lapsed she has been able to secure a remarkable list of fashion industry clients that delight in her almost subconscious observation and execution pertaining to image creation.

    With photographic work that zooms in on the body and the boundless forms and movements it can inhabit, Camilla’s eye is developed in a singularly distinct way as she is an embodiment of dance and movement. Personal projects such as ‘Humanidad aqui arriba’ act as signifiers of her innate visual sensibilities.

    Alabaster skin, mahogany skin interconnecting in a close embrace is what Camilla shows us. “I felt the need to remind people—and myself—that we are all the same, and that beauty lies in every single one of us, I felt that [photography] was the only medium I had to express this.”

    ‘Humanidad aqui arriba’ then is a narrative of skin colours synchronizing in motion leading to the formation of images evoking harmony, unity and grace. Her body of work is accompanied with verses by the Spanish poet Leticia Sala amplifying the fervour with which Camilla studies the human form in movement. See her poem below:

    I raise Beauty – humans, bones, skin, – to which nothing else reaches.

    Here, there is no history, no narrative. No bones, no skin either.

     

    Up here, I see matter fading. I see only intangibles – a singularity

    That does not distinguish between anything. Nothing.

     

    And then – I stop understanding. I don’t want to understand.

    Understanding leads me to error.

     

    Up here, I see only dead stars. Stellar clouds. Separated by

    light years but all the same always. Equality everywhere.

    They dance, they merge, they spread, they mix.

     

    And ultimately, they disappear.

    Her visual narrative is a physical account of her ocular eye creating an object that displays the way in which she observes the movement within the human form. An eye trained with movement shows different characteristics to the eye of a formally trained photographer. Her sensitivity to observation is unmatched and an intimacy that transpires from her work is inevitable.

     

  • Jungli // A Brand Subverting Cultural Appropriation

    Jungli // A Brand Subverting Cultural Appropriation

    Officially launching on Instagram in September, Jungli is run by Leila Khan and La’eeqa Mosamin in Cape Town. With their offering of hand-made products that span from tassel earrings to coin chockers, t-shirts and bright yellow sweat shirts bearing slogans such as ‘NO TO APARTHEID’, this brand has a powerful message.

    The launch of Jungli was a process that required almost a year of planning and design experimentation. For the duo, their label began as a side hustle to earn money. They had witnessed multiple white owned businesses profiting off culturally appropriated jewellery and t-shirts printed with white feminist slogans as well as slogans appropriated from black women. “We thought we might as well be the ones to make money off of designs and fabrics from our own cultures and give people the option to buy less problematic t-shirts with strong political statements.” Before joining forces the duo were both designing and creating jewellery in their private capacities as hobbyists.

    Currently studying law, they have expanded their craft with their Jungli collaboration. Leila expresses her creativity in a variety of practices stretching from drawing, painting and printmaking. Skills that she has built on since school and later at the Peter Clarke Art Centre. She still continues to build on her practice by means of self-teaching.

    The word Jungli is an Urdu/Hindi word containing multiple meanings. The creators of Jungli tell me, “We got the idea from La’eeqa’s grandmother, who used to tease her as a child by calling her ‘jungli’, meaning ‘wild’. This word was also used in colonial rhetoric to refer to people from the subcontinent as ‘barbarians’ or, ‘savages’. For example, the Oxford Dictionary illustrates the definition of Jungli using the quote, ‘the East India Company decided that it could not allow its employees to go jungli, native’. It also lists ‘primitive, uncivilized, uncultured, uncultivated, uneducated, ignorant’ as synonyms. We are attempting to subvert this meaning by calling ourselves Jungli.”

    Expressing that they have received a lot of support thus far into their joint venture, the team indicates that there has been quite some interest in their ‘no justice, no peace’ t-shirt. “It’s great because it shows that people rally behind and identify with this message.”

    Jungli’s Instagram profile is not only eye-catching but unfolds striking, well curated imagery. Leila has taken various images on the account with both a film and digital camera. Images intended as advertising for the label are more than that, with messages that spread far wider than youth culture captured in an intimate frame lock.

    La’eeqa and Leila look forward to a future of creating more t-shirt designs aimed at challenging complacency within wearer’s spaces with fashion. Taking on a different direction they express a desire to place an emphasis on mental health in the brand’s upcoming designs. “Generally, we want to keep making nice things for people to wear at a more affordable price.” Quality and affordability are of high importance to the up-and-coming brand. Keep a look out for what they have in store for you.

  • Splash of the Southern – Frill Paradise. Exploding Colour

    Liz Valentina is a 23-year-old fashion graduate from FEDISA. Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany she moved to Cape Town some years ago and expresses that the coastal city allows her to be the colourful person that she is. Her graduate collection has been memorialized by the lens of photographer Gabriella Achadinha. Drawing on the work of David LaChapelle, a collaboration was born between designer, photographer, and art director Lana Fredericks, and makeup artists Toni Olver. Ocean, earth, air, fire. These are the natural elements that inspired Liz’s colour pop choices for the collection.

    The editorial created by this team drives the eccentricity of a world that they wanted to create. This world, albeit taking inspiration from LaChapelle, is an extension of the vibrant and unconventional personhood that Liz embodies. With a visual account on her WhatsApp DP that is cued by lily pad head adornments and earrings resembling a cluster of grapes, it is no wonder that the collaborative team saw it fit to extend on her expression of individuality. Their scenic fictional land was created with these thoughts, “all things colour and crazy” Gabriella tells me, and succeed on this notion they did. The title of their work then is not only catchy but appropriate. ‘Splash of the Southern’ speaks of water in movement, referring back to the natural elements that inspired colour choices for the collection as well as coastal living and the vibrancy of South Africa – a fitting analogy.

    Liz has always been on her way to becoming a designer and after industry insight gained through various internships, the young eccentric aspired to make her passion her career. Her graduate show collection is reminiscent of some sort of fantastical colour party. A party inspired by 1970s fashion, with Salvador Dali on the guest list. Dali, of course, saw it fit to create human-like sculptures with lobsters during the festivities. No, not really. Liz created all of the lobster and jelly fish jewellery herself and styled her models with head pieces and pompoms by Crystal Birch. “I have a very fun and colourful look on life, that resembles in everything I design,” Liz points out.

    The use of frills ranging on superfluous is motivated by a desire to emphasize movement. The movement of ocean waves reminds one of the way in which frills move on the human body when walking. When asked about the patterns on some of the garments in her collection I am told, “The pattern actually started with me playing around. Sushi is my favourite food, and rainbow is my favourite colour, so my first little sushi character came to life. I feel like all these different excited characters just put a smile on your face.” Liz’s sushi characters contain an edge on quirk and contribute to the depth of her designs worthy of high fashion status.

    An obsession with Alessandro Michelle and his recent work with Gucci is almost visually given away by the boldness and unafraid nature of Liz’s designs. Dutchess satin and chiffon are Liz’s pet fabrics to play with. She enjoys combining them to transform fabric into garments that contain not only nostalgia for its observers or wearers alike, but a keen sense of otherworldliness.

    Gabriella’s practice is an indicator within itself of the level at which she is drawn to studying the female form with her ocular eye. A student of film production at AFDA in Cape Town, Gabriella initially began her experiments with photography in her final year of study. Gabriella’s work, in short, is never devoid of distinct employments of colour utilized to evoke emotion and individuality. With work that traverses in between fashion, street, documentary and travel, Gabriella has a photographic eye more developed than most. Her colour keen obsession is perfectly aligned with Liz’s collection acting as proof of the powerful collaborative project that has ensued.

    During the conceptualization of the shoot, Liz and Gabriella came to a decision to join their ranks with that of MYUZU, a South African conceptual branding and art direction collective, in order to make their vision a reality. Gabriella met Liz accidentally, and when acquainted with her practice fell in love with her prints, designs and uncommon style. As initial conversations pursued regarding ‘Splash of the Southern’ Liz mentioned that she was eager on the inclusion of art elements. This made Gabriella think of a favoured collaborator, Lana, from MYUZU and so they set forward to putting this body of work together.

    A fashion editorial not devoid of art, the grouping of models that occupy this narrative was done painstakingly well by Liz who wore many hats to bring this work to life. Gabriella implemented strikingly unusual framing within this range of photographs, consciously cutting off fingers and limbs of models at times. Awkward cutting and close ups are used to highlight specific design features forcing the viewer’s eyes to her intended focal point. There is a pleasing discomfort in the way that Gabriella chooses to frame her subjects. A framing that carries a message of its own.

    Taking her visual cues from Liz’s designs that can be described as a paroxysm of colour and form, Gabriella made the discussion to photograph in studio. Not naturally inclined to work within the clinical studio setting, Gabriella’s choice was motivated to enhance Liz’s designs. “I just could not imagine them in a natural setting; they’re so consuming and engaging that any setting would make the picture too busy. The designs take centre stage.”

    Not playing a copy and paste game, the David LaChapelle influence can be seen in styling, makeup and art direction. This shoot, however, retains its integrity by being a fresh body of work combining the creative inputs of various collaborators and kind-hearted souls who were willing to make this more than an aspiration. If vibrant colour, quirky designs and patterns are your thing, then Liz Valentina is a name you should familiarize yourself with. Of course, if you enjoy intimate soft spoken photography combined with a variety of framing techniques, then Gabriella Achadinha is your go-to photographer for femme inspiration.

    Credits

    Designer | All pieces by: Liz Valentina

    Photography: Gabriella Achadinha
    Art Direction: Lana Fredericks & Liz
    MUA: Toni Olver
    Models:

  • Orphan Street Clothing Shop – an innovative space defying mainstream retail experiences

    Cape Town’s fashion narrative has expanded to encompass a new phase within the increasingly world class city with the opening of Orphan Street Clothing Shop, on Orphan Street. The store launched on the 2 November attracting lovers of street style and modern-day chic alike. The idea for this new dynamic space came about from husband and wife duo, Matt and Molly Kieser. O.S.C.S houses the Maylee and Sol-Sol brands, designed by the pair individually.

    Progression within the Cape Town fashion landscape has accelerated resulting in a more interwoven aesthetic with a distinct approach to design, textiles and imagined buyers. Features on multiple platforms such as Bubblegum Club, Hyperbeast, and Highsnobiety acts as forms of a testament to the accolades that Sol-Sol has received over the years. Explaining why South-African fashion-centrics and other street style fanatics over the globe regard the label not only as trusted but as one of our nation’s greatest.

    Maylee might not be as widely celebrated as Sol-Sol regardless, but Molly’s designs show an intricate understanding of the need for minimal, quality clothing for women. The small scale of her brand is an indication of personal choice and adds a certain flair to every collection that is produced. Before the launch of O.S.C.S, Sol-Sol and Maylee have operated from the well-known Corner Store shop in Cape Town. A space of their own is not only a suitable step for both brands but also a welcomed decision that can be surmised by simply looking at the turn out at their launch.

    The interior design elements of the new O.S.C.S store makes use of light colours, a few darker areas and earthy elements such as some small sections of marble which was tastefully implemented. All and all a minimal, uncluttered, pristine space prescribing to modern retail design aesthetics. The smaller store set up is removed from fast paced fashion retail that can sometimes be overwhelming. Not being a fan of crowds or packed spaces and an avid admirer of these two labels, I’ll be sure to pop by the shop when I’m in town for what I imagine to be an almost tranquil shopping experience.

    The launch was paired with the release of their Spring/Summer ’18 collections showcasing one-offs, a few collaborative pieces as well as superbly constructed items. The launch factored for all elements that make launches great, progressively different styles for Spring/Summer ’18, Jameson Whiskey kept everyone’s pallets quenched, and DJ’s Luca Williams and Jon Laura took charge of creating steady energy for the event with their beats.

    In O.S.C.S the Kiesers have created a space seamlessly toning their ambitions for these two, praise worthy South African labels. Creating a new frontier that compliments the already fashion swarmed district. I look forward to seeing the growth of this new space on Orphan street and what the future of Maylee and Sol-Sol have in store for its devout wearers.

     

  • Gender Identity. Alien Invasion – its_leal_

    Leal is a young illustrator and street artist from Johannesburg currently residing in Cape Town. Their choice of subject matter varies to encompass topics including human trafficking, marginalised bodies, their girlfriend Boni, their experiences as a person who identifies as queer, as well as gentrification within Cape Town. Their otherworldly illustrations, and intimate depictions of womxn and other marginalized bodies push a level of intoxication and begs of its viewer to consume more of the Copic artist’s drawings.

    Leal’s interest in art was kindled after their sister was gifted plasticine for her birthday. Leal pocketed the malleable play dough and built tiny deer sculptures completed with the use of stick or berry noses. “Art became my way of communicating as a dyslexic and epileptic kid with ADD who was bad at sports and school. It was kinda the only thing I was good at. In high school, I began taking my craft more seriously without really having a distinctive style or consistency which reflects my entire high school experience as a queer body in an all-girls school.”

    ‘STEVE ZISSOU’

    Leal expresses that the inspiration for their work often just pops into their head. Feelings and sounds are important triggers for such moments. Their lax style sometimes references pop culture as can be seen with ‘STEVE ZISSOU’, a piece inspired by Wes Anderson’s 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. “When I work on bigger pieces and there’s a lot more space for random things I tend to draw items that I would want to take with me to enhance the experience of an alien invasion/abduction like my bong and a pillow.”

    Bright colours, lots of pinks. These are the predominant colours that play the part of identifying Leal’s pen flex skills. The use of pink in their work speaks to their gender identity. “Pink is a colour I strongly disassociate with because of its feminine connotations and the fact that my gender identity doesn’t really fall in line with what I used to think pink represented.” Leal has embraced the colour despite the feelings of discomfort they associate with it, believing that their choice to do so has empowered them, making their art more truthful. Leal thus uses the colour as a means to express their views in their work.

    ‘BABE WITH THE SAUCE’

    With work that is often times fixated on their girlfriend, Leal expresses that she has been their muse since they met in high school. Another topic they often explore is the various elements that they take in when skating around the streets of Cape Town. “Something really harrowing is the spatial Apartheid in Cape Town. A lot of my work is inspired by the gentrification that I’ve seen since moving to Cape Town this year. I often portray places I’ve seen in Woodstock as alien landscapes.” The way in which Leal portrays these fictional alien landscapes makes reference to how they believe that the original inhabitants of this space view their home turning into something foreign.

    The meaning behind their work surfaces in pieces such as ‘DIVIDED’, a personal work exploring Leal’s gender identity as well as the separation from their true self that they experience. A split head with a pink glass box lodged in between. Within the box there is a small blue human. Leal explains that the head is split in half by thoughts as well as outside perceptions of themselves. The blue person trapped in a pink box symbolizes them. “It describes the situation I find myself in now. If there’s anything I’d hope my work can accomplish, [it] is creating work that people can relate to emotionally, especially queer people who have experienced some of the same things that I have.”

    ‘DIVIDED’

    ‘NEON SEX .1’ forms part of a larger body of work exploring the sex trade by referencing Japan, one of the spaces in the world where transactional sex is openly advertised. “The sex industry in Japan is flawed in the sense that there are loopholes in the law as opposed to actual legalization and this leaves too much room for human trafficking. I have referenced actual images of the neon signs outside of sex shops to display how widely accepted the illegal buying and selling of sex has become in some parts of the world.”

    ‘NEON SEX .1’

    Leal expresses that they feel strongly about the topic and recognises sex work as a valid form of work. They tell me that they stand with many in their intention to decriminalize sex work but that they denounce human trafficking and believes that this distinction is vital. “I want people to think about sex work critically and see the difference between the agency of sex workers and the dangers in criminalising their work.”

    Leal’s work commands engagement. Even if you don’t enjoy it you’ll probably look at their Instagram to see more. This is due to the alien-like forms and subject matter that come alive in their illustrations combined with unnatural skin colours. The vividness and sometimes explicit nature of the depictions are images that stay in your mind after you’ve seen them. Leal’s lax style and potent hues invite you deeper into their visual claws. Prepare to be drawn into Leal’s sensitive and intimate illustrative world.

    ‘CATS FROM JAPAN’
    ‘BLAZE UP SATAN’
    ‘PEEP’
    ‘SUCK MY STRAP ON’

     

  • Stark flatness, pale skylines, muddy whites – The Architectural Paintings of Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi

    Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi was born in New York City and finished her art studies abroad before settling in South Africa. Inhabiting the role of a multiform artist, she works predominantly in film, performance art, and painting. She has noted before that she regards her paintings as a footnote to her practice. Her architectural paintings present a historical analysis of city spaces that she has occupied over the years.

    With a keen focus on establishing a narrative in her work, identity and belonging are two topics she explores in her work as she feels that these are concerns that she faces in her own life. Thenjiwe’s mother is a historian that subsequently led her to an interest in accessing her own history and the history of the places she lives and has lived before.

    ‘In Plain Sight (After the Tripode)’ 2013

    Expressing that her work is rooted in looking at moments in history, her practice began analysing the architecture of Johannesburg and how its current and former inhabitants have with the passing of time, both remembered and forgotten who they are. Buildings have the ability to live for a long time and therefore have specific memories attached to them impacting the way a city is viewed. They therefore act as physical reminders of history.

    Thenjiwe’s architectural investigation through paint has a particular interest in the history of apartheid and its effects on the lives of South African’s today. The titles of Thenjiwe’s architectural paintings convey strong emotions towards certain historical monuments from spaces that she has inhabited with titles such as ‘What Is It That You Keep Forgetting (After the Palais De Justice)’ a painting from 2013 that references a law court building in Paris. Her titles are an indication of how she is questioning the relationship that people have with certain building in their surrounds as well as the relationship she herself has. She asks her viewers why they are forgetting their history, or why they choose to remember it the way they do.

    ‘What Is It That You Keep Forgetting (After the Palais De Justice)’ 2013

    Stark flatness, pale skylines, muddy whites, greyish blacks and few colour pops within her architectural paintings act as an identifier of Thenjiwe’s hand. These haunting images that lack a human element simply show identifiable buildings taken over by foliage. These works ask what will happen to these buildings in the future which can be justified by looking at the title of ‘Emergent Phenomena 1 (After SABC)’ 2017, clearly a work speaking about the meaning of the SABC in contemporary South Africa. This can also be seen when looking at ‘In Plain Sight (After the Tripode)’ completed in 2013 that I believe makes reference to the Tripode building in France that was demolished. Is Thenjiwe then predicting or anticipating the fall of the SABC building you might ask? Perhaps, or perhaps she is referring to a desire for restructuring within government broadcasted television.

    ‘Facility’ 2015

    Thenjiwe’s architectural work shows many similarities in style to ‘A Bigger Splash’ 1967 by the artist David Hockney that also carries a strong architectural focus. Elements such as flatness and the use of a muddy colour pallet as well as small colour pops correspond with these works by Thenjiwe.

    Her architectural range of paintings asks us about our past and how we view and remember it as well as address issues surrounding identity and belonging. These are concerns that are focal to Thenjiwe as she comes from a mixed parentage and has lived in many places in her life. Her personal opinion is also conveyed in these works with the use of composition that emphasizes isolation as well as the coupling of loaded titles for her works.

  • The youngins – up and coming creatives on the Capetonian art vista and their thoughts

    Cape Town has been described as a union of culture, cuisine, and landscapes. “There’s nowhere quite like Cape Town, a singularly beautiful city crowned by the magnificent Table Mountain National Park. Human creativity is also self-evident here – it’s one of the things that made the city a World Design Capital in 2014. From the brightly painted facades of the Bo-Kaap and the bathing chalets of Muizenberg to the Afro-chic decor of its restaurants and bars and the striking street art and innovation incubators of the East City and Woodstock, this is one great-looking metropolis. The informal settlements of the Cape Flats are a sobering counterpoint, but these townships also have enterprising projects that put food from organic market gardens on tables, or stock gift shops with attractive souvenirs” reads a description of the city on lonelyplanet.com. The Cape Town creative dynamic is one which holds a lot of weight and to get a clearer idea of how this vista functions I spoke to a number of up and coming artists on the scene to get some insight. Taking into account what I have been told from a number of interviews it is clear to me that there is still underrepresentation within the city, it is still a space in which black and brown bodies often times feel excluded and a grueling hustle to make money takes place within the picturesque city that is usually painted as an idyllic space. Read more to find out what their opinions are.

    Sara Lagardien is a young creative from Cape Town that first came to my attention when she modeled for adidas NMD. After this, she did an editorial for adidas Originals at AREA3 sharing the shutter release with Haneem Christian and owning her first editorial with carefully considered styling choices. She explains the editorial in the following words, “Through this body of work I aimed to challenge the perceptions that people have of young Muslims of colour and their Islamic identity which is often viewed through a very narrow and linear lens. I aimed to allow a space where young brown Muslims could exist in the context of Islam and mainstream discourses surrounding Islam and Islamic identity – where their identities and narratives are often erased, denied or delegitimized. Muslims that do not subscribe to the conventional and often conservative mold of Islam exist and we are here to stay.”

    adidas Originals Editorial by Sara Lagardien | AREA3

    At AREA3 Sara built a lasting bond with other young creatives that worked in the space and conceptualized Takeover: Bree Street that she shared the Creative Director role with Haneem Christian for. Now Sara has a lot to say about Cape Town and I would urge you to take note. When I asked Sara if she has seen any change within the scene and who she believes the leaders of the drive is she tells me that recently a vast amount of coloured and black creatives are taking ownership of their stories and showing it within their creative practices. “I think that this representation is extremely important in informing the way that young and aspiring creatives of colour choose to navigate through Cape Town’s creative scene.” Sara expresses that Dope Saint Jude, Imraan Christian, K-$ and Jabu Newman represent a shared reality in their work that she finds deeply empowering. She feels that there has been a shift in artistic direction for Capetonian artists and calls it a space of reclamation and the amplification of representation. She accredits this to young creatives of colour who are actively working towards change.

    “It’s easy to say that the new creative wave in Cape Town is more representative of all the voices and people from various backgrounds when your voice is part of that new wave, but in reality – while progress has been made – we still have a long way to go. When we totalise the creative scene in Cape Town as being a definite group of specific people, it becomes easy to neglect so many young creatives out there – on the Cape Flats, in townships and in communities where people haven’t been afforded the access to opportunities and resources that I have been afforded and equipped with to aid me in changing the landscape of Cape Town’s creative scene.” In Sara’s opinion, young voices are being heard more than before but she states that it is a very selective group of people who are being heard.

    ‘Takeover: Bree Street’ – Photography by Haneem Christian

    Justin February was the next young creative I spoke to that came into the public eye by modeling for labels such as Sol-Sol Menswear. Fast forward a bit into the future and we see Justin taking on photography and creative directing with his adidas Originals Editorial produced with AREA3. Justin expresses that he became mesmerized by Cape Town’s creative scene when street wear brands such as Young and Lazy; Sol-Sol Menswear and 2Bop came into his context. He expresses that the creatives leading the way for the youngins are people like Mathew Kieser, Anees Peterson, and Anthony Smith.

    Justin, in agreement with Sara, feels that Cape Town creatives are creating work that speaks about their own realities with an intent to inform their viewers of realities that have previously been disregarded. “I think that shift that I’m talking about is because people are sick of not being heard and have found a great way to let people hear them.” Sara, however, feels that many marginalized groups within Cape Town are still not being heard or receiving fair representation in contrast with Justin’s statement that more people are heard through social media.

    adidas Originals Editorial by Justin February | AREA3

    Darkie Fiction is a relatively new musical duo who recently released their first single ‘Selula’ produced by Jakinda of Siff Pap. The group formed in Cape Town consists of rapper Katt Daddy and singer and cinematographer Yoza Mnyanda.

    When asked about ‘Selula’ the group tells me, “Selula is a song about moving forward. It’s a challenge to look at life from a different perspective and realise that although you may not have everything you want, you still have some things. We made the song at a time where we needed that gentle reminder. It also speaks to how people place so much importance on things that don’t actually really matter. The song literally says that all it takes is cell phones, cigarettes, and champagne to make people happy.”

    Their collective journey began at the start of 2016 at The Waiting Room where they were both preforming that night. They express that after some failed endeavours as solo artists, they united their talents in May 2017. The story behind the title of their group is one that I thoroughly enjoy. They tell me that the producer of ‘Selula’, Jakinda once said: “doccie fiction” referring to documentary fiction. The two musicians, in fact, heard “darkie fiction” and it was a name that really resonated with them. After growing into the name, it made sense to them as it speaks of a shared frustration with the South African music industry.

    Darkie Fiction – photography by Giorgi Young

    “The word ‘Darkie’ has derogatory connotations. What we want to do is reclaim the word and help to bring light to what it really means to be a young, black and proudly South African creative in the 23-year-old South Africa. We want to celebrate the things that nobody really talks about, the little things that make us darkies.”

    Valuing their insights, I decided to find out what their views are on the Cape Town creative scene. The duo expresses that the creative scene in Cape Town has changed in recent years and that there is more integrated racially and socio-economically. They feel that more people are finding a voice and challenging various constructs as Justin suggested. They do however state that there isn’t much of a music “industry” within the city and that the only game changers really are visual artists.

    In their opinion that correlates with Justin, young voices are being heard more than ever but they attribute it to the digital age and express that is not a phenomenon that is specific to Cape Town. “The days of making meaningless music or taking meaningless images are coming to an end.”

    Photography by Hana Sho

    Hana Sho is a young 18-year-old model, photographer and freelance creative from Cape Town. I spoke to her to get her thoughts on the scene. Hana as most of the creatives I have interviewed believes that there is a change in the character of the scene due to social media. She expresses that social media interaction is leading to more collaboration among creatives and that now, more so than before, established artists on the scene are willing to share their knowledge and collaborate with young emerging artists.

    When asked about her if she believed that young voices are being heard within this space, Hana leaves me with this “Yes I do, you gotta listen to the kids, cause we know what’s good!” Hana speaks about the shift in artistic direction within the metropolis in terms of young creatives no longer focusing on a niche but instead pushing their creative talents into all of the platforms they wish to explore. She believes that this is aiding in bending certain norms.

    “Because of this huge wave of new young creatives in Cape Town, there are more people speaking for those who are yet to discover their voices, and for those who can’t be heard. For that reason, I would hope that there is representation for everyone.” Unfortunately, as Sara noted there are still many artists who do not get to raise their voices due to the lack of opportunities awarded to them.

    Photography by Hana Sho

    When asked about the unity that seems to persist within the Capetonian creative vista the up and comers tell me that the scene has a tendency to revolve around cliques. Darkie Fiction expresses that it’s about finding your closed network and working together to reap benefits. “The clique thing needs to be dismantled because if we all, truly, worked together the city would stretch way further.” They express that there is a lot of support and competitiveness within the space, a sentiment that Hana and Sara both share. Justin says that people within the space become like a family and do “a lot of cute shit” together. Sara expresses that having her group makes the space more accessible and less intimidating.

    I asked these young artists to explain the immense versatility among Cape Town creatives who seem to be able to delve into various creative disciplines. To this Darkie Fiction expresses that due to the space being so small you are always faced with its versatile creativity. They describe it as mixed veg as many people from various origins settle within its parameters. “It’s a very inspiring place to be, there’s a lot to take in all at once.”

    Darkie Fiction – photography by Giorgi Young

    Sara tells me the following on the topic, “The immense versatility amongst Cape Town creatives is also something that has been cultivated and encouraged by the pioneers of the scene and those who are now mentoring the younger generation of creatives. I also believe that it is our responsibility to do justice to the efforts of those who came before us by allowing our own paths to be informed by the knowledge and lessons gained from their paths.” Justin is in agreement with Sara and expresses that as young creatives they are exposed to a variety of creative outlets that they try and master and make their own. It seems to be a case of fascination and intrigue that turns playful exploration into a more serious art form within this space. Hana expresses that it originates from a DIY mentality that evolves into becoming good at various facets of creativity in agreement with the statements above.

    When I came to a question formulated from observation regarding why it seems that creatives within the vista cultivate their careers as models I received some interesting replies. Sara expresses “While I can’t speak on behalf of other Cape Town creatives because I don’t believe that everyone’s creative careers start off as being a model, I can speak about and from my experience. For me, entering the creative scene in Cape Town as a model allowed me to enter a multidisciplinary world that I had never had prior exposure to. Modelling allows one access to the worlds of photography, styling, art direction, makeup artistry, set design and the like. It was in this space – being exposed to a broad creative world – that my creative journey and aspirations were birthed.”

    adidas Originals Editorial by Sara Lagardien | AREA3

    Justin feels that it comes from name and face association which aids creatives in already having been heard of by the time that they might feel so inclined to pick up another artistic outlet. Hana again tells me that it is something she has not given a lot of thought to but for her, learning both sides of the lens has thought her a lot and her modeling undertakings help her pay for her camera addiction tendencies. Modelling within this space can be seen as a foot in the door and perhaps not so difficult with brands such as Sol-Sol who scouts young creatives as well as the fact that My Friend Ned is based within the vicinity.

    I asked the group about opportunities for creatives within the city and Darkie Fiction tells me that there are not enough and that you can only go so far within that space. “There’s a cap, especially as a black creative.” Sara expresses that opportunities exist in Cape Town but that it is a case of who you know to “get in”. Justin and Hana feel that young creatives should create their own opportunities. I agree and half disagree with the statements received for this question as I can easily believe that there aren’t enough opportunities for young creatives within this space. I do however feel like there are more than before with spaces like AREA3 that is aiding young creatives in their paths and yes, you can make your own opportunities but taking into account what I have been told, I believe that the scene is in favour of visual artists more so than musicians.

    adidas Originals Editorial by Justin February | AREA3
    adidas Originals Editorial by Justin February | AREA3

  • An experimental performance on what it means to be a young woman in 2017

    “When I grow up I want to be sexualised, objectified, made to feel wrong, ignored, used, abused and belittled. I want to be defined by the colour of my skin, the size of my tits or the use of a tampon, my hair, my muscles and what I’m packing in my toolbox. I want to be looked at and touched without asking, I want to be made to feel uncomfortable just for saying no, I want to be expected to be something I’m not, expected to change for you, expected to go with the flow and let it happen without speaking up.” These were the words written on the back of the flier for the performance titled Encountering the Other. When read out of context these words may cause readers to feel offended and confused. However, the purpose of this was to express what women do not wish to experience. Encountering the Other, which forms a part of the British Council Connect ZA 2017 Programme, has been described by its creators as a riotous and often times comical look at what it means to be a woman in 2017. I had an interview with one of the directors of the performance, Katy Weir from ODDMANOUT, Darlington, to suss out some information on the performance that has been produced across the two hemispheres.

    Katy tells me that ODDMANOUT’s collaboration with the Market Laboratory came about after she visited the Newtown-based theatre school in Johannesburg when she was given a grant from the Artist International Development Fund. During her visit, she learned about how the school functions on a strategic and artistic level. “This involved sharing practice, devising a piece of work with the first year students, and working alongside Clara Vaughan, Education Officer at The Market Lab and the Lab associates to open dialogue around process, cultural offerings, training, and skills sharing.”

    Katy expresses that the collaboration was a starting point for discussions zoning in on exchange, heritage, and creativity. She continues to say that these discussions highlighted the similarities and differences between young people in South Africa and the North-East of England. In further discussions, they raised questions about how they would go about exploring this creatively. The conceptualization for this project took place with both companies at the core and the four directors based in SA and the UK.

    The performance aimed to bring together a variety of voices, their stories, and experiences from two different continents with music, dance, colour and a few comical elements. As Katy explained, the foundation of this collaboration was to create a performance based on the performers’ experiences and interpretations of womanhood, including both male and female perspectives. This was all done in an attempt to allow the performers to introspectively understand themselves and the world around them.

    This collaborative project utilized live performance, the Internet, and digital media in its creation. It is important to note that this performance was, for the most part, produced across two hemispheres, meaning that the full cast did not have much time together to rehearse, leaving a sort of impromptu nature to the performance. But if truth be told, it was difficult to see this unless you were made aware of it before hand.

    When asked about the title, Katy tells me that it refers to meeting someone from a different background, but might identify with you because of a shared experience such as everyday sexism. 12 performers aged between 18-25 years old shared material with one another over the internet and based their preparations for the final piece on what they had shared. After this, the group met up in South Africa and were left with 8 days to prepare before they took to the stage collectively for the very first time.

    When asked about the meaning of cultural exchange for her, Katy responds, “Cultural exchange is about learning from each other. When the world can be a scary place we need to unite to work out how we get a more positive world, and we will only get that by talking together.”

    The collaborators from the UK are 6 emerging artists from the North of England and were auditioned in August of this year. Katy expresses that their decisions for performers were based on passion for the story, their reason for wanting to be involved, their ideas of womanhood and what they thought they could learn and bring to the experimental performance project. Their South African collaborators are second-year students at the Market Theatre Laboratory and were auditioned by Clara. They were tasked with creating an original piece of work challenging traditional notions of womanhood.

    In my interview with Katy, she explains that this performance was put together by the stories of the young performers. This story is theirs and adds an interesting twist to theatre performances that traditionally run according to the book. With this project the performers were given room for self-expression and were not told what to do with their piece.

    Katy tells me that this performance speaks to the experience of being a young female today, and how the male gaze affects us. Katy continues to say that this kind of unfair treatment towards women forms a part of rape culture that is easily brushed off. She left me with a last thought about their experimental journey – “We are trying to celebrate difference rather than pin point what these differences are.”

    Credits:

    Katy Weir – Director

    Scott Young -Director

    Clara Vaughan -Director

    Jaques De Silva – Director

    Performers:

    Katie Powell

    Brogan Gilbert

    Rebecca Graham

    Alanna Wilson

    Charlotte Grey

    Leah Mains

    Matthews Rantsoma

    Darlington Justice Khoza

    Tumeka Matintela

    Boikobo Masibi

    Ncumisa Ndimeni

    Sinenhlanhla Mgeyi

     

    This article forms part of content created for the British Council Connect ZA 2017 Programme. To find out more about the programme click here.

  • Exploring the place of social justice and sustainability in urban planning and design

    OluTimehin Adegbeye is a Nigerian speaker, writer, and activist. Her work is derived from a self-perceived duty to social justice with a focus on gender, class, sexualities and sexual violence. Other concerns addressed in her work are Sustainable Development and Urban Poverty.

    When asked about her career path, OluTimehin expresses “I don’t know that I ‘chose’ to follow this career path; I speak and think about problems that seem to me to be pressing and in need of urgent engagement. In the course of that, opportunities present themselves, and I take those which help me inspire more people to engage with our societies’ many ailments where gender, class and other sites of marginalisation are concerned.”

    OluTimehin gave her first TED Talk titled “White Sands, White Flags: The Demolition of Lagos State Waterfront Communities” at TEDLagos Ideas Search in February of this year. Her second TED Talk titled “Who Belongs in a City?” was held at TEDGlobal in Arusha, Tanzania. She was also a speaker on several panels that include “Rewriting Herstory: Harnessing the Power of Feminist Writing Platforms and Networks at the Black Feminisms/AWID Forum” (Brazil, 2016), “Spirit Women at ChaleWote: Spirit Robot” (Ghana, 2016) as well as “Intersections: Culture, Social Justice and Feminist Narratives” (Ghana, 2016).

    Her writing has been published in multiple languages and can be found in StyleMANIA Magazine (Nigeria), Klassekampen (Norway), Women’s Asia 21 (Japan) and Essays Magazine (South Africa) to name a few. Online, her writing has become part of the content in the African Women’s Development Fund, the Association for Women’s Rights in Development, and the African Feminist Forum, along with other platforms. Besides what has already been mentioned, OluTimehin is an alumna of the Farafina Trust Creative Writing Workshop (Nigeria, 2015), the inaugural Writing for Social Justice workshop organised by AWDF in collaboration with FEMRITE (Uganda, 2014) and the Farafina and the BRITDOC Queer Impact Producers Lab (USA, 2017). The list of her written output continues to get longer, emphasizing her determination to address the social justices issues mentioned earlier.

    OluTimehin’s personal writing consists of memoir writing, autofiction, and poetry that explore motifs such as solidarity, autonomy, trauma, motherhood and radical love. Working towards the deconstruction of exploitative and aggressive power structures fortifying globalised societies, she aspires to re-inscribe the core value of human life.

    “I started to identify as a feminist in 2013 and since then I have benefited from and continue to contribute to many physical and digital communities that share stories and strategies about how to make our realities less violently exclusionary. I began engaging with questions of urban development about a year ago, and since then I’ve had opportunities to share my perspective on what an inclusive vision of my home city, Lagos, might be.”

    OluTimehin forms a part of African Mobilities‘ Friday Lecture series and shares the following thoughts on her involvement, “I think it was very discerning of the organisers in Lagos to think about not just the physical landscape, but also the social aspects of how the city functions, and thus to invite someone like me who doesn’t work in the traditional design space to speak to the impacts design, urban vision and ‘development’ might have on the populations of my city. I’m honoured to have been invited to add this perspective to the layers of discourse around African Mobilities.”

    Identifying as a decolonial feminist, OluTimehin is currently based in Lagos, and is actively working towards unravelling societal dilemmas from this viewpoint.

  • Urko Sanchez – grounded in Swahili Architecture

    Urko Sanchez Architects is an award-winning boutique architectural firm based in Kenya and Spain. It’s founder, Urko Sanchez, started his architectural studies nearly thirty years ago and took several years to complete his coursework due to his love for travelling. Urko participated in various architectural projects during his studies, and his life as a traveler has inescapably shaped his designs. Here I look at Urko’s background and the work of his architectural firm.

    Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, Urko has always been embedded in an extreme passion for seeing the world. “From the time I was very young, I have always loved traveling”. Urko has visited more than forty countries, including Canada, Argentina, and India. Being exposed to a large variety of colours, art and cultures have informed his life and practice. All of the sights Urko has seen on his travels have helped him establish what he wanted to build for himself and for others.

    During Urko’s studies, he began to partake in architectural endeavors with NGOs in Nicaragua and Spain. As time passed Urko continued to lend his expertise in conflict zones. Urko spent two years assisting in architectural projecs, the building of camps, clinics and schools within Angola, Bosnia and El Salvador. After going to an island off the coast of East Africa Urko’s thrust for a nomadic existence was quenched, and he decided to set his roots in Lamu after years of travel.

    ‘Swahili Gem Apartments’ Mombasa, Kenya by Urko Sanchez Architects 2012 – 2017

    With his mind set on living in Lamu, he was faced with the challenge of finding work within the area. “I came up with the idea of Lamu House Hotel in 2001, and then got a group of friends together to buy the plot. We started working on the architectural planning and just when we were ready to begin building, September 11th happened. Everything stopped. So I went back to Spain for a year to work for a construction company. We did very special, up market projects like renovating the Real Madrid Stadium, interventions in the Cathedral of Salamanca and private houses.”

    In 2003 when the world grew more stable, Urko headed back home to Lamu and started construction on the hotel. The first phase of this project took three years to complete. At this time, the architect started working on projects for other clients, resulting in the expansion of his specialty in his practice. Urko’s work started revolving around Swahili architecture that he has reshaped with a modernist touch.

    ‘African Union Headquarters Campus’ Nairobi, Kenya by Urko Sanchez Architects 2016

    Urko Sanchez Architects has a passion for social improvement and contributes to projects that are aimed at assisting disadvantaged communities with innovative interventions. With each project that the firm takes on there is a keen focus on environmental stewardship, the cultural heritage of the structure, indigenous materials as well as the flow of the structure’s surroundings.

    What differentiates Urko Sanchez and his studio? A modern kink on traditional architectural practice, as well as their implementation of a green aesthetic that is employed with the use of wind, solar power, and recycled water. The points that differentiate them continue to include the use of natural architecture to emphasize natural light as well as the framing of private gardens and open courtyards. Another important factor is the external specialists, TMA, that form a part of the team and address subjects such as the protection of wildlife, transport engineering, and energy efficiency.

    Urko Sanchez’s architectural exploits were materialized through a rare symbiosis with travel that aided in the creation of a matchless design prowess leaking over into his firm with abundance. Using Swahili architecture as a departure point for his designs brought not only himself but his architecture studio to a stage where beautifully, intricate, modern twists are made on traditional Swahili architecture. With environmental considerations and cultural heritage of structures at the forefront of their design practice, it is no wonder that the boutique architectural firm is award winning and one of the leaders in innovative, spectacular design.

    ‘Lavington Villas’ Nairobi, Kenya by Urko Sanchez Architects 2016
    ‘Umma House’ Lamu Island, Kenya by Urko Sanchez Architects 2006