Tag: cape town

Confections X Collections: Tasty Treats & Slow Fashion at the Mount Nelson

The annual Confections x Collections (CxC) event returned to the Mount Nelson this month in a five-day celebration featuring intimate salon-style fashion shows curated by Twyg. The happening showcased local brands including Wanda Lephoto, VIVIERS Studio, Sindiso Khumalo, Mantsho, and Chulaap. It also blended fashion shows with bespoke confectioneries inspired by the slow fashion labels.

The theme of the collections on show was “African Luxury Lore”, which highlighted the richness of African cultures and customs. Nellie’s Lounge was filled with renowned designers including VIVIERS Studio by Lezanne Viviers, an avant-garde, androgynous brand, and Sindiso Khumalo, the 2020 LVMH Prize winner, both making their second appearance at CxC. Joining them were Wanda Lephoto, known for sartorial storytelling, and Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung, celebrated for her bold and bountiful designs. The closing act featured the “Prince of Print,” 0, a Cape Town-based designer of Thai descent.

CxC not only showcased these designers’ talents but also paid homage to Cape Town‘s prominent pink hotel and its tradition of supporting local artisanal skills. Following its famed 50-year afternoon tea tradition, the event highlighted the convergence of fashion and confectionery, with Mount Nelson’s Executive Pastry Chef Vicky Gurovich crafting bespoke treats inspired by the designer collections for the two daily fashion shows.

During the event, Master of Ceremonies Seth Shezi led intimate talks with the designers, revealing the common thread of collaboration and community. In the thought-provoking conversations, the designers discussed their creative achievements, both in South Africa and on the international stage.

Wanda Lephoto, for instance, shared insights into his Me Fie collection, which revisits African stories through contemporary style, weaving subcultures and influences into tailored garments that embody the spirit of friendship and community. He recalled his observation of the migration of communities towards Johannesburg‘s city centre, and how as a result the Ghana Must Go bags, with that iconic crosshatched pattern, became central to his work.

Lezanne Viviers of VIVIERS Studio went into the notion of origin, both of our existence and of the clothes we wear. Using Japanese printing techniques on reclaimed silk, Viviers adds a new dimension to South African silk. Her emphasis was on the collaborative efforts that ensure the survival of the design community, saying: “There is one designer with the idea, but it takes 50 people working together to make the vision clear.”

Sindiso Khumalo, in her return to CxC, not only showcased her whimsical dresses but also provided a sneak peek into her latest collaboration with the European retailer & Other Stories. The recently introduced children’s and swimwear featured embellishments such as ribbons, narrative prints, and collars reminiscent of the Peter Pan style. Khumalo’s collection continued its plastic-free principle, featuring clay jewellery by renowned South African sculptor Githan Coopoo.

Founded in 2004, Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung is a brand that embodies the spirit of building a legacy through community. Mokubung, an inspiring Black Femme practitioner in the industry, expressed how her community serves as a driving force behind her creative work. By employing a distinctive range of vibrant prints and elaborate silhouettes, the designer presented a collection that spoke to the great legacy of African-inspired patterns.

When it came to Chuulap by Chu Suwannapha, attendees were taken on a global journey with the Sea Explorer collection for Spring/Summer 2024. Suwannapha’s intriguing blend of colours, patterns, and maps across trench coats, knitwear, and aquatic accessories. The collection as a whole paid homage to African culture and drew inspiration from ocean exploration and Cape Town’s wild environment.

From historic threads to a cosmopolitan array, Confections x Collections showcased the enduring significance of Mount Nelson, which is now nearing its 125th anniversary. The luxury hotel is an iconic cornerstone of the Cape Town scene and the event reminded us of the hotel’s commitment to preserving heritage and fostering a vibrant community in the arts.

22 November 2023
African Space Travellers Organisation: MaXhosa SS23/24 Collection at Zeitz

For a while now, MaXhosa Africa has been a beacon of luxury that showcases the beauty and versatility of the African continent. The brand’s mission seeks to reposition culture as a prominent and influential thought leader in society, not just for the present, but for generations to come. Of course, as these values align with BubblegumClub’s own, we have kept our eye firmly focused on the inspiring trajectory of this homegrown brand.

A South African knitwear brand founded by Laduma Ngxokolo in 2012, it all started as a thesis project at Nelson Mandela University. Inspired by his Xhosa heritage and the traditional male initiation ceremony, Amakrwala, Ngxokolo’s signature aesthetic is a contemporary interpretation of traditional Xhosa beadwork patterns, symbols, and colours. His collections are known for their geometric patterns and vibrant hues.

Over the years, the brand has expanded to include not only fashion but also accessories and home decor. It has gained worldwide recognition, with Ngxokolo winning prestigious awards such as the Vogue Italia Scouting for Africa prize in 2014. His designs have been worn by celebrities like Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and John Kani, and a MaXhosa cable-knit sweater was featured in the Museum of Modern Art’s Is Fashion Modern? (2018) exhibition in New York City.

MaXhosa Africa recently launched its SS23/24 collection at Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town. The choice of venue was strategic and marked the start of a significant partnership between the fashion brand and the museum, with MaXhosa’s distinctive homeware incorporated into the Zeitz MOCAA member’s lounge. This show was MaXhosa’s debut solo show in Cape Town. Held so close to their V&A Waterfront store, it was bolstered by the museum’s unwavering support for contemporary African creativity and its unique architectural design.

The futuristic extravaganza was nothing short of stunning as models descended the museum’s central glass elevators, which served as a cosmic gateway. Drawing inspiration from African folklore, astrology and spirituality, the collection, aptly named A.S.T.O. (African Space Travellers Organisation), featured an impressive line-up of 80 looks. One of the most notable aspects of the show was the diverse range of models, representing various body types and gender identities found across the African continent.

The show introduced several standout pieces poised to become timeless classics for the brand. Among these were panelled knits and patchwork accents on dresses and suits. The range merged tradition with innovation, introducing new additions such as summer-ready printed t-shirts and swimwear pieces, cutouts and coverups featuring MaXhosa’s signature monogram patterns. By taking the collection to the poolside and oceanside, MaXhosa demonstrated the versatility of its design aesthetic.

At a press conference held ahead of the show, its Founder and Creative Director Ngxokolo said, “MaXhosa Africa is at once a heritage brand and a brand that reflects the Zeitgeist in Africa, bringing the stories of the continent to an international community … We are in the business of pushing boundaries while continuing to honour our African heritage and style. We are part of the group demystifying the aesthetic that African designers cannot compete with the big players in the luxury space.”

The event was a smash hit and saw a snazzy guest list, including media professionals and a whos who of Cape Town’s fashion, design, and art scene. Well conceived and efficiently organised, it was an undeniable testament to MaXhosa Africa’s unstoppable influence and significance within the fashion industry. With such a stellar track record of innovation and excellence, this iconic African fashion house promises a future brimming with even more transformative and neoteric undertakings. We can’t help but be left thirsting for more!

1 November 2023
Publik Wine Fair Johannesburg – An Event Celebrating Independently made Minimalist Wines and their Artisans

Launched in 2013, the first presence of Publik was felt in Cape Town in the crisp casing of a wine bar situated in city bowl. With the ambition to make known, wines produced by independent winemakers, Publik rose to exhibit and support artisans that had a minimalist approach to winemaking and worked with more unfamiliar grape varieties. An organic process allowing the grapes to prescribe the wine rather than making use of recipes instilled through manipulation in a cellar – here is where the passion of Publik lies. “These wines offer unique flavours, character and great value.” expresses Publik’s Director David Cope.

Publik has become known for identifying these distinctive winemakers and their creations sharing them with excited audiences from their Cape Town home, and soon here in the heart of Joburg. Since their inception, the wine bar has expanded to encompass a national business, taking on the personality of an online store, selling artisanal wines as well as supplying to the trade. All the while staying true to their initial ambition and core values. In addition to all this, is the Publik wine fairs.

With the roaring success of their Cape Town wine fair that took place earlier this year, Publik will be hosting their first Johannesburg iteration in mid-October in the centre of the arts and culture precinct of Newtown, at the iconic Turbine Hall. A building that forms an integral part of the architectural history of the city, a power station in a previous lifetime.

The Johannesburg event will have over 100 wines from more than 30 artisan winemakers on display making it an event unalike in calibre. Grown in traditional regions such as Stellenbosch, Swartland, Sutherland and Prieska, the event promotes local independent artisans and aims to create a relaxed environment for the enjoyment of wine tasting. The artisans of the day will include; Alheit, Crystallum, FRAM, Thistle & Weed, Franco Lourens and Lowerland to name a few. In addition to winemakers, there will be grape varieties unfamiliar to most available such as; Grenache Gris, Touriga Nacional, Pinot Gris, Tempranillo, Durif and more.

“While Cape Town is surrounded by winelands making it easier to discover smaller independent winemakers, Johannesburg rarely gets the opportunity aside from a few industry-focused events. Johannesburg has a bigger market but far less of these wines are sold here, purely because they don’t get exposure. This event is a chance to change that…” shares Cope.

Publik is focused on giving a platform for wine artisans who use organic, biodynamic and minimal intervention wine production methods. Cope explains that this interest manifested from a question regarding consumer nature. He states that there is an interest in knowing more about the production and growth of products such as fair-trade coffee and ethical meat, yet consumers seldom question where the wine they buy in grocery stores come from or how it is made. “The truth is most wines are a very commercial product, quite manufactured. While these wines are essential to the industry, there is another side of wine and we want customers to ask questions, find out more about how wines are made and realise not all are made in sustainable, honest methods that we prefer.”

So, what is important when it comes to wine tasting? Cope shares, “Wine tasting is 100% subjective: nobody tastes exactly the same thing. So best not to worry about how much or little you know. Best to simply taste wine like you would food and ask yourself: do I like this or not. It’s so easy to get caught in the details and confusing technical stuff, which is sad if it’s at the expense of discovering new wines you may like…”

The Wine Fair will take place on the 21 October 2018. To secure your tickets visit Publik’s website. Limited tickets available.

19 September 2018
Cross Continental Collaboration – A Spontaneous Fashion Lens

Natural beauty accentuated with minimal makeup and loose-fitting silhouettes. Nostalgia evoked through analogue photography. Traditional framing and spontaneous emotion. Free collaboration.

Four creatives shared a mutual goal – to collaborate on a shoot during their time spent in Cape Town. A per chance meeting with Makeup and Hairstylist Patricia Piatke led the stylist for this shoot, Shukrie Joel to get in touch with her while hunting for a good photographer to put heads together with. And so, a collaboration was formed between photographer, hair and makeup artist, stylist and model. Their amalgamated team includes Detlef Honigstein, Shukrie Joel, Lolita Kupper and Patricia Piatke.

The project was approached using analogue photography as the medium to speak through given Detlef’s affinity to the format. Colour and black and white film are employed evoking both a classical feeling and becoming more modern as colour is gradually introduced.

For the team, this shoot was about a spontaneous get together before each of them set out to different countries. An opportunity for collaboration done with more impulse and spontaneity than vigorous planning. Their images come across as raw, beautiful and an impromptu moment captured on the emulsion of a film roll, breathed life into in its positive final form.

Speaking to stylist Shukrie, he explains that his idea was for the clothing to look comfortable on the model’s frame, effortless and easy. Despite there being minimal planning the team made stylistic choices for which thought was given.

Patricia and the team aimed to break away from the high-end street styles that Shukrie is known for with their makeup and hair styling decisions. With an artistic haute couture hairstyle giving off a sense of ease and natural makeup, the team did not want these elements to over shadow the colours of the clothing that Lolita wears. A fun selection of images resulted from their creative collaboration.

Credits:

Photography: Detlef Honigstein

Fashion & styling: Shukrie Joel
Hair & Makeup: Patricia Piatke

Model: Lolita Kupper

7 August 2018
‘Beautiful Boy’ – an editorial inspired by the perfect moment not the perfect look

German photographers Timmi Taubenschreck and Detlef Honigstein have been working in the fashion industry in various capacities for the past 12 years. The two of them decided to team up together and form the duo Honig Schreck when they discovered their mutual love for analog photography, and took note of the fact that a number of brands were interested in their specific aesthetic for backstage photography and campaigns. “We started analog photography with passion for the perfect imperfect look and the time-saving method of photography without retouching. Our photography is real and handmade with new and old 35mm films, old cameras and experimental double exposures, always capturing the perfect moment, not the perfect look,” Timmi explains.

Earlier this year the duo spent time in Cape Town to escape the Berlin winter. The idea of being in the sun and meeting new faces inspired them to conceptualise an editorial based in the city. “The results are a combination of all our wishes, ideas and visions. We wanted to reflect the personality of each model,” Timmi explains As part of this they created a unique concept for the styling, makeup and general look for each model. An important element of this shoot, as with all their work, was to make the models and their stories the centre of the editorial. For Honig Schreck the perfect editorial comes from having a wide knowledge of their cameras, as well as capturing “the perfect moment, not the perfect look.” Their work is fashion photography that does not solely focus on highlighting the fashion.

The editorial focuses on the fact that every model that they worked with is beautiful in their own way, hence the name ‘Beautiful Boy’. “They’re all very different. Different personalities. Maybe they’re not the type of model you’ll find in a fashion magazine. But that’s not important for us,” Timmi explains, “Cape Town was the chance to tried new films and new concepts. The chance to work with wonderful models, and the agencies meeting us with full confidence. This way to form a unity and to create an exchange of ideas was amazing.”

Credits:

Models:

Chad-lee van Wyk from 20 Model Management

Sanele Junior Xaba from BOSS Models

Alex Kirimi from D&A Management

Photographers: Detlef Honigstein & Timmi Taubenschreck represented by Double Studio Berlin

Hair and Make-up: Annika Jeck & Jane Jacobi

Looks:

Chad-lee: Flower Top – model’s own, white coat from Amanda Laird Cherry Apparel

Alex: Tropical Shirt from BARRE NOIRE

Sanele: White T-Shirt from Calvin Klein

19 July 2018
Sleepwear and intimates brand Koeksuster’s new fashion film

Soft shades of pinks and blues, coupled with smiles, twirls and giggles. “I think it is important to always protect your sisters,” says a voice. This is the beginning of the fashion film created by Cape Town-based sleepwear and intimates brand Koeksuster for their latest campaign. Working with director Thea Small for the visuals, and Elu Eboka to create a specific soundtrack, the film is an ode to high school and coming of age. It acknowledges that being at school is a time when young womxn can become insecure, feeling scrutinized by society and their peers. For this campaign, it was important to reclaim the school grounds as a place where young womxn can encourage one another and feel confident in their bodies. I had an interview with designer and founder Marli Grobbelaar about the brand and the concept behind the film.

Please share more about the Koeksuster brand, and the name ‘Koeksuster’?

Koeksuster started as an hypothetical business idea and kind of spiraled into something much much bigger. I’ve been conceptually working on the idea for about 2 years, but our website has been live since July 2017.

I think when people first here the word, Koeksuster, they immediately think of the South African dessert! And they’re not wrong. But if you take it apart, The word “koek” is an Afrikaans word for a prude, and suster is an Afrikaans word for sister. And so the combination felt perfect for a feminist intimates brand, and also my alter ego!

Only as the brand started growing I started coming across more and more people who also use the word as either a nickname or alter ego as well. Even one of the models from the film told us about how she and her friends used to call each other ‘Koeksisters’ in school.

Our mission is to not only create feminist inspired products, but to also create a educational safe space for womxn and to promote feminist content in and around South Africa. The brand is aimed at promoting social change and wants to change the way society views womxn and more so how young females see themselves.

You have a feminist approach to how the brand is presented. How do you think this ties in well with the brands designs for sleepwear and intimates?

I’ve always been a fan of delicate intimates, but seemed to feel ashamed to admit it. I think it was because of the stigma and sex shaming, that I felt was associated with intimates when I was younger. I wanted the brand to promote the message that intimates don’t have to be sexualized. You can wear intimates just for yourself. But in the same breath there’s also nothing to be ashamed of! I wanted to create a brand that encourages young womxn to know themselves better, explore who they are sexually and ultimately become comfortable with who they are.

Please share more about the concept behind the fashion film for your latest campaign?

I think it all started when I drove pass a beautiful School Building in Woodstock. The pink building seemed so on brand, and I could already imagine the styling that could accompany a shoot there. So when I met up with Thea, the director, for the first time we started brainstorming around the concept of incorporating a school setting. We wanted to create an authentic representation of girls that might be nostalgic for older generations while inspiring for younger girls. While exploring the theme of coming of age, we realized it was a place where many young women feel insecure about their bodies, and we felt that by setting the film in a school environment, and styling the intimates there, we would be reclaiming that space. It was also important that it was just the girls by themselves, without the distraction of parents, authority figures or boys – we were intentional about creating a gynocentric representation of high school.

Please share more about Thea Small and how working together enabled the creation of this film?

I met her through Instagram, where she messaged me to meet up to discuss a possibly collaborating on a fashion film together. I think we were both in a space where we wanted to find a new creative outlet as well as work on our own portfolios. It was also really important to me that she was a female filmmaker, and upon our first meeting, I knew she understood and shared the brand’s vision.

She taught me so much as a fellow creative, but I think some of the biggest takeaways for me from the project is the power of collaboration. It was so amazing to be able to rely on someone else, especially someone as hard working as Thea. She had the perfect vision for bringing our brand to life on film. I think if you have multiple people contributing to an idea, the concept can become so much stronger and far more refined. So I can’t be happier with how this project has brought a next dimension to the brand.

Why did you decide on a fashion film for this?

I have to admit that I would have never thought to do a film if it wasn’t for Thea reaching out to the brand. After talking to Thea for the first time it felt like the right next step to expand the brand. I really wanted to push the brand into a more conceptual direction, while still showcasing the products. Also this is by far the brands most theme-driven project, so I think it’s a bonus to have more than just stills to fully translate the idea.

Who do you imagine as the people who wear your designs? Do you keep this imagined wearer in mind when bringing out new collections and campaigns?

I think unfortunately the product design process is very much influenced by what materials are available. But once I do have the materials, it’s all about finding the most versatile way of working. I try to make patterns that I can adjust to different cup sizes and bust sizes. The dream is to make most of the products on request so that you have to submit your measurements online to make a custom bra that fits you perfectly. For now I’m still finding the balance between what’s available and within my skill range as a small business owner. Eventually I really want to expand to be able to accompany more body types and preferences. Because I suppose, I imagine all womxn wearing the designs eventually, or at least that’s the dream!

Anything else about the fashion film or Koeksuster that you would like to share?

Our film also had a soundtrack composed especially for the production. We wanted the perfect sound to accompany our film, and spent time creating music to edit to. The track also includes voices that further emphasizes our focus on Sisterhood and Solidarity.

Credits:

Director: Thea Small

DOP: Jason Prins

Producers: Lola Almond & Chase Musslewhite

Camera Assistant: Junaid Rawoot

Gaffer: Patrick Buti

Make-up: Marchay Linderoth

Styling: Marli Grobbelaar

Art Direction: Christina Leigh Fortune

Style Assistants: Michelle Benade

Production Assistants: Chelsea Wiercx & Beth Ribeiro

Photographer: Natasha Alexandra

CAST:

Terri de Jager

Iman Kathrada

Lucy Mbiola

Maxim Marais

POST:

Editor: Tomas Wells

Colourist: Brett Wrayner

Music & Sound Composition: Elu Eboka

Voice: Liza Scholtz & Tinuke Eboka

18 July 2018
Ses’fikile – siwu mndeni // celebrating queer spaces and queer artists

Zer021 is an inclusive queer club in Cape Town, and will be the host of Ses’fikile – siwu mndeni on the 20th of July. Translating to ‘we’re here; we’re family’ in English, the name of the event speaks to the importance of queer people celebrating the presence of spaces such as Zer021 as well as the queer artists who continue to push their creative practices.

Siwu Mndeni is the name of the ongoing collaboration between filmmakers and art practitioners Jabu Nadia Newman and Luvuyo Equiano Nyawose. Ses’fikile is the first project in their collaboration. “The whole inspiration for this project was to acknowledge or pay homage to poc queer club spaces that inspire creatives, drive culture and act as a sanctity for individuals who are discovering themselves,” Jabu and Luvuyo explain.explains.

Zer021 will be transformed into a gallery space, disrupting ideas around where art can be viewed and who can have access to these spaces. Ses’fikile includes the premiere of the short film/music video produced and directed by Jabu and Luvuyo for FAKA’s latest single ‘Queenie’, produced by Angel-Ho. It will also include powerful photographs taken on set by Daniel Walton. To bring the event full circle, live performances by well-established and relatively new artists and djs will transform the dance floor into an exchange of energetic vibrations through gqom, hip hop, kwaito, house, and experimental sounds. “The lineup consists of artists, acts and DJs who unapologetically carve out their own path and continue to inspire and give back to the community. The lineup consists solely of poc queer artists and incredible performers who are touring Europe and playing in different countries all over the world, yet are hardly get booked in their own country,” Jabu and Luvuyo explain. The performance lineup includes FAKA, Angel-Ho, Queezy, and a DJ lineup with K$, Nodiggity, Parasite Hilton and Sensitive Black Dyke.

“Our event will not tolerate any racism, homophobia, transphobia, bullying, queerphobia, sexism, fatphobia, taking up space and in general no discrimination. It aims to be an inclusive space primarily for members of the LGBTQI+ and non binary individuals.”

Find out more here.

17 July 2018
New Photographic series ‘Like Flowers Grow’ by TRYBE COLLECTIVE

We interviewed members of TRYBE COLLECTIVE about their new series Like Flowers Grow:

Please share more about how you came together as a collective?

TRYBE COLLECTIVE came together as a collective in early 2017. We started as 4 friends, all living in a house share in the infamous suburb of Observatory, Cape Town, with different artistic abilities. All of us artists with something to say, we soon realized the potential of the collective and thus began the process of transitioning from the individual to the collective. Originally it was just us for 4, Jesse Goosen on styling, Babalwa Tom focused on performance and dance, Ashley Smith working photography and Thuthukile Hlatshwayo on I.T. programming. “Grooves and Groves” was our first child, an event we hosted at ERF81 farm to raise awareness to the farm and its history. As we grew we continued to support each other’s artistic projects plus those of friends around us and soon grew into a larger collective movement.

What is the thinking behind this series, in terms of mood, styling and photography?

The styling, mood and photography of this series was inspired by the name of the series, “Like Flowers Grow”. I also aimed at capturing the queer body as a mythological spirit of nature. This alchemy of “flowers” which occur naturally [and in a mythological way] with its disputed legitimacy, best represented the queer body and the arguments that have been disputed, and continue to be disputed, over such bodies. The whole mood was therefore centered around the galvanizing or play on fact and fantasy (Comfo Mo Czalo – photographer).

Please share more about the importance of your collective, in relation to the lives of queer people in Zimbabwe?

As a TRYBE, our aim has always been to raise awareness and support to each other’s artistic endeavors. When Comfo, who is one of our Zimbabwean members, approached us with this idea to start documenting queer bodies in Zimbabwe, we immediately joined them in excitement, seeing this was a topic close to home. We share a vision that such stories will serve as inspiration and strength for the queer body navigating through Zimbabwe on a day to day basis.

Why do you think art, fashion and photography will help you articulate your collective aims?

We believe, Art, Fashion, and Photography have an unstoppable potential to stimulate, trigger, inspire, enliven and influence a generation. These also provide a safer space for dialogue.

What are you hoping will be the impact of your work?

We can only hope that our work will serve to, trigger and influence a new conversation on the dignity and legitimacy of the queer body in Zimbabwe. At the very least it must serve as awareness to the existence of such people in the community.

Please share more about the name for this series?

“The name was very personal to me, I like to view society a living organism, a tree, and I see queer people as the flower parts of that tree, that is, the best part. Additionally, the name came as a play on what is deemed natural and unnatural, as this is still the level of conversation we are at as a society, in the Zimbabwean context.” – Comfo Mo Czalo.

26 June 2018
Ricardo Simal – Photographing an idyllic state of being

A moment of time captured in a permanent state. Intimate portrayals of fresh-faced youths. Flecks of haziness. A perfect balance of slightly saturated tones is met with vibrancy. Images of nostalgia.

Ricardo Simal is a Cape Town based photographer who refined his craft by studying at the Ruth Prowse School of Art. Moving to London he assisted highly regarded photographers such as David Sims, Patrick Demarchelier and Mert & Marcus working on titles that include ID, Dazed and Confused, W Magazine, Vogue and Tank Magazine.

Ricardo’s portrayal of his models translates as near documentary fiction and his viewer experiences a sense that he knows these people intimately. Looking through his body of work is like looking at the documentation and dissection of youth and youth culture with a raw unbevelled edge.

Engaging with any one of the images crafted with his lens is to become mesmerised and to experience a sense that you yourself know these models. The feeling can be described as looking at portraits of friends from a previous lifetime. His images ooze with emotion even in his editorial stylings.

Analysing the expanse of his work, it is clear that Ricardo is a classically trained photographer abiding by principles such as the rule of thirds. This choice in itself renders his depictions as natural due to his models appearing within a focus area that is preferred by the human eye. Another technique that he employs is the elimination of distracting objects adding to the captivating quality of his work. Images that appear near shadow-less results in an uplifting mood.

The aesthetic of his practice can be summarized as raw, honest, sensual and intuitive. Since his return to Cape Town Ricardo has built up an impressive client list consisting of Hugo Boss Eyewear, Woolworths, Esquire, Meso and Russh to list just a few.

In short, Ricardo’s work can be seen as an idealism. Photographing young beauties within light tonal values and the rules outlined in various photographic principles makes his aesthetic become pronounced. The world he creates is real and unreal simultaneously. The rawness he photographs with adds to the element of a sort of documentary that his work visually displays.

14 June 2018
Corner Store editorial documents the cultural history of Robot2Robot

Killarney race course in Cape Town comes to life every Wednesday evening with petrol heads lining up to see if they can show off their remodeled cars and driving skills. With engines revving and adrenaline pumping, two drivers stare each other down while they wait for the signal to push their vehicles to the limit. With the crowd cheering, the wheels of the cars screech as they take off, a cloud of smoke creating a ghostly silhouette. It’s all about who can get to the finish line first, and look cool while doing it.

Robot2Robot started in 2015 as an initiative to curb illegal street racing in Cape Town and to give those who are interested in the activity, as a driver or spectator, a safe environment for racing. In an effort to keep racers off the streets, the City of Cape Town provided funding for the event. While the investment from the city is crucial, Reagan Paulsen (co-founder of Youth95 streetwear) states that it is important that the people who attend the events and have a love for the street racing scene are the ones who are documenting its cultural history.

Understanding the connection between Robot2Robot and certain aspects of street culture in Cape Town, Corner Store teamed up with photographer Nick van Tiem for an editorial at Killarney, tapping into the elements that keep people coming every Wednesday. Models are photographed as members of the crowd caught in a moment of intense reflection. The mood of the editorial shifts with images echoing the slow sunset.

18 May 2018
Alex Paterimos – The young Cape Town based photographer interested in capturing sentimentality

Alex Paterimos is a young creative focusing his energies on photography and cinematography. Born in Greece, he spent the first four years of his life living in Athens. Thereafter his family moved to Ballito where he completed his high school education. Upon completing his secondary studies Alex felt that he needed to be part of a culturally rich space that challenged him artistically. Being drawn to the beauty and sense of community that he found in Cape Town, he is currently based in the city as a student of cinematography. “Throughout my life, I had always wanted to enter the creative world, and always envisioned myself making art in some way.”

The origin of Alex’s devotion to the craft of image creation is something that he can’t pin point to a specific time in his life as he states that he has had a passion for being behind the lens ever since he can remember. Receiving his first camera (a basic digital point and shoot) at the age of 12, he was awarded the opportunity to document his life. The drive behind Alex’s shutter release is sentimentality that translates into images of friends and memories captured in time.

Formal training was accessed at the film school Alex attends where he was taught the essentials of photography and DSLR cameras. The main focus of his craft currently is developing his personal style and ensuring that his work conveys emotion to its onlookers. He predominantly works on 35mm film at present which facilitates in cultivating feelings of dreamlike nostalgia within his work.

“Film adds a sense of value to an image for me and forces me to really perfect and love a photo before I take it. This process of crafting my images has helped me discover and nurture my passion for composition and lighting.”

Inspiration comes to the young creative in observing the city he now calls home and new, yet undiscovered spaces for him. He shares with me that he is inspired by its architecture, colours he observes and the people that occupy these spaces. He is also interested in how human bodies are contrasted to their immediate surroundings. Taking from this he sometimes aims to replicate his observations in his shoots.

Alex’s creative process for a shoot is one that unfolds in collaboration with his friends. Mood boarding and brainstorming about a shoot takes on a formative role in these developments. However, on the day of a shoot spontaneity often acts as a contributor to the final product.

“Managing to effectively capture moments that just happen by chance is what I find most rewarding, as this aspect of spontaneity is encapsulated by the look of my 35mm point-and-shoot and essentially plays a big part in shaping my work.”

To Alex, the central aspect of his image creation is evoking sentimentality and capturing the essence of the people he photographs as he feels strongly about not creating heartless work. “…I am focussing on developing my style and visual language first. I think that once I feel more confident in this, I will be able to begin pushing myself more creatively.” As Alex photographs his friends, his work can be said to contain an element of documentary-fiction.

Alex’s raw talent seeps through his images that read like candid heart felt shots of friends. His work conveys not only sentimentality but a sense of who the people he photographs are. His work can be considered to be a reflection of the youth of Cape Town within this particular time and thus contains an element of documentary-fiction.

16 May 2018
Group exhibition ‘shady tactics’ shows how throwing shade at institutions is a productive past time for artists

The group exhibition shady tactics showing at SMAC Gallery in Cape Town purposefully throws shade at institutions, and presents this as a productive past time for artists. For this show ‘throwing shade’ is a kind of playful, at times flirtatious, interaction with the use these institutions present for the practice of artists. This productive cheekiness highlights the power matrix within which these institutions operate and emphasizes their maintenance of the heavy, pungent presence of coloniality. In an email interview with the show’s curator, Thuli Gamedze, she explained that for her criticality is a “deeply creative impulse.” The show’s title opens up a space for work that “chooses to be explicitly political and critical” and for artists who “resist the stylistic desires of art institutions, who can be guilty of pushing for a certain ‘look and feel’ when artists begin to be ’political’.” The projects for the show share a number of alternatives – “new, incorrect uses for things, along with incomplete and drifting ideas, failures, jokes and strange approaches to logic.”

When asked about her approach for curating shady tactics, Thulile explained that she wanted to work with artists of colour who are serious about the role of playfulness in their practices. The fact that the people included in the show are not represented by specific galleries brings a kind of open playfulness and unbounded approach for critical expression. “I was really anxious when I was trying to figure out who to ask – I scoured the last few years of catalogues from art schools around the country, gained a stalker-like edge on instagram, and made like a hundred lists, torturing myself trying to make rational sense of what was actually quite an intuitive process.” shady tactics includes work by Sitaara Stodel, Callan Grecia, Simnikiwe Buhlungu, Mitchell Messina, Katleho Mosehle and Bonolo Kavula.

In getting the idea for the show off the ground, Thulile explained that conversation and sociality are important for how she wanted the process to unfold. Having never worked closely with a gallery as a curator before, and only havng educational spaces as reference points, Thulile created a rhythm of regular dialogue with the selected artists and, when possible, shared space with the artists to work through ideas for the show.

Following her creative impulse, Thulile found connections between the works, ensuring that they speak to one another as well as the title for the show. The text for the show came out of watching the various stages of creation for each work. “The objects were not that important though. I think I was interested in giving space to people as whole creative entities – people whose sensibility, tone and politics I respect as generative, if visually unpredictable and always swinging. I think things weaved themselves together quite nicely visually, but I also think there was a big chance it could’ve ended up looking off as a whole because I hadn’t pinned people down specifically on my expectation of their stylistic approaches. But that’s interesting too.”

‘fuck you I tried my best’ by Callan Gracia

Each artist’s work connects with the exhibition title by engaging in some form of institutional appropriation – “using ‘standardised’ language but messing around with it to change the message.” Callan Gracia’s fuck you I tried my best looks at public walls and the messaging conveyed on them through his depiction of a giant rainbow sprinkled with fear and anxiety-inducing images. In this way he unpicks the rainbow nation rhetoric that is used in post-apartheid South Africa. “Callan’s huge rainbow is complicated and disrupted by his numerous depictions of dystopian destructions of post-1994 middle-class idealism,” Thuli explains.

In A Brief History of the Institute Mitchell Messina uses a collection of high quality image files which are curated and repeated over a number of scenes, accompanied by sound and text, to tell the stories around the fictional construction of a new art institution. The stories illuminate the money-driven nature of the art world within our neoliberal environment. “Mitch’s detailed storytelling…parallels familiar narratives of big money’s relationships with art in Africa.”

‘(NO) SEX IN CT’ by Katleho Mosehle

Katleho Mosehle’s (NO) SEX IN CT makes a comment on white feminism within the media, embodied by the character of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. This work demonstrates the violence of white femininism. Mosehle’s absurdist recreation of Carrie uses humour and caricature as devices to highlight this. Bonolo Kavula’s Fragile: this way up looks at the ways in which the colonial gaze ‘others’ and reinforces cultural dominance. By using the discursive and visual language of the YouTube DIY tutorial, Bonolo teaches the printing process and simultaneously problematizes the divide between ‘art’ and ‘craft’. “Bonolo’s work, combining a satirical commentary of art versus craft has intense political relevance in SA’s super elitist art world,” Thuli adds.

In her work Homesick, Sitaara Stodel constructs a section of a living room, with the overall work teasing out definitions of ‘homeness’. She uses still images collated from the internet and secondhand stores that demonstrate idealistic ideas of home to create a collage and video present in the installation. Her play on suspension and stillness creates an uneasy mood, recognizing that this home is not fully formed or able to contain a fixed comfort. “Sitaara’s work acts as quite an intimate reference point for the whole show, where her appropriation of images of other peoples’ homes to make her own narrative speaks to the desire for whatever ‘being at home’ means – an inherently political notion here, but also one she tackles in a deeply personal way.”

‘Homesick’ by Sitaara Stodel

Simnikiwe Buhlungu’s performative installation A Loooooong Ass Message, ya dig? uses an old fax machine to deliver a message that spills over a stack of office boxes. This indirect presence of the artist speaks to questions around lack of access. The interruption of the gallery’s telephone line to deliver faxes of “the content erased and re-erased by art institutions” points to the importance of inserting politicised work that speaks against this erasure.

The show will be up at SMAC Gallery in Cape Town until the 9th of June.

‘A Brief History of the Institute’ by Mitchell Messina

‘Fragile: this way up’ by Bonolo Kavula

8 May 2018