Snake Charmer                                       

He rose to fame as fashion designer, but South African Rich Mnisi has shown that his creativity knows no bounds. Following a well-received first edition of collectible furniture, the artist just debuted a second solo exhibition of his work at Cape Town’s Southern Guild. Called Dzuvula (shedding skin), the undulating forms of his new works continue to demonstrate the inspiration of the snake. Mnisi’s creative visions were brought to life with collaborations with various artists and artisans including Haupt, Monkeybiz and PACO – promoting South African craft and handwork. Pieces in the collection include a polished bronze table, titled ‘Mbhoni’ (Witness), which is held up by a serpentine limb; a pair of sculptural seats, ‘Ripfumelo I’ and ‘Ripfumelo II’, which combine bronze armatures and sheepskin seats in an embodiment of fear and comfort dualities; and ‘Vutlhari II’ (Wisdom), the second iteration of a chandelier created in collaboration with designer Charles Haupt.    

DESIGN INDABA