YOU NEWS

 T

HE news came like a bolt
from the blue: Carrol Boyes
had died following a short
illness – and many of her
fans hadn’t even known
she was sick.
Over a career spanning
30 years she became one of
South Africa’s best-known designers,
crafting funky, quirky and elegant home-
ware that was unmistakably hers.
Carrol (65) gave one of her last inter-
views to YOU recently to mark her mile-
stone three decades in the business,
delving into creativity, success and her
love of family.

 S

HE’D always loved working
with copper. But in the ’80s,
when it became fashionable
to make gleaming copper
kudu heads as wall displays,
she could only shake her head.
“Oh no, we need to do something
different with copper,” Carrol, an art
teacher,thoughtatthetime.Shepeered
attheswimmingpoolatherhomein
Llandudno,CapeTown,andhadanidea.
“Ithrewallthecopperflowerpots
andvasesI’dmadeintothepooland
leftthemtherefora fewdaysuntilthey
turnedgreen.”
Thegreentingecausedbyoxidation
gavehercopperwarea distressedlook

• whichwasexactlywhatshewasafter.
  Andjustlikethat,she’dcreatedart.
  Carrol’sheadquartersinPaarden
  Eilandwhereherteam’sdesignsare
  proudlydisplayed,includeeverything
  fromsugarbowlsandtumblerstocut-
  leryandcandleholders,allperfectly
  sculptedwithhertrademarkcurves,
  somewittilyfeaturingbodypartssuch
  aslegsandbums.
  Theshelvesarepackedwithceramics
  bearingartfullysketchedfaceswith
  largeeyesandlopsidedsmiles.Thebrand
  alsoincludeschocolate,scarves,station-
  eryandevenwine.
  Itrepresentsthelife’sworkofthisef-
  fortlesslystylishwoman.
  Carrolstartedthebusinessinthebase-
  mentofherhomein 1989 anditgrew
  toencompass 22 storesinSouthAfrica
  aswellasoutletsinLondon,NewYork,
  DubaiandSydney.
  “Neverina millionyearsdidI dream
  it wouldbesobig.
  “I’dreallyjustwantedtobecreative
  whileearningenoughmoneytopay
  mybills.”

C

ARROLlovedartallherlife.“I

thinkI drovemyparentscrazy

becauseI trieddrawingon

everyconceivablesurface.”

Shewastheonlydaughter

ofDennis,a radiologist,and

Lauraine,a homemaker,andgrewupin

Pretoriawithhertwoyoungerbrothers,

CharlesandJohn.

Sheenrolledfora degreeinfineartand

EnglishattheUniversityofPretoria,

majoringinsculpture.Herparentswere

scepticalatfirst.“Manyartistsstruggle

andI don’tthinktheywantedthatforme.”

AftergraduatingshemovedtoCape

Townandbeganteachingata combina-

tionprimaryandhighschoolinHout

Bay.“Arttotheprimaryschoolkids,and

Englishtothehighschoolkids.Itwas

extremelysatisfying.”

Herhobbywasexperimentingwith

variousmetalsandshestarteddreaming

ofbecominga professionalartist.She

savedenoughmoneytoliveoffforsix

monthsandattheageof35,after 11

yearsasa teacher,sheembarkedona

newcareerpath.

“Itwasa hugestepandterrifying.Now

Renowned

South African

designer

Carrol Boyes

died earlier

this month.

She was diag-

nosed with

cancer about

a year ago.

In oneof herlastinterviewsCarrolBoyes

talksabouthercreativeimpulsesandher

unexpected success BYCHARLEASIEBERHAGEN-GREY

I NEVER DREAMT

IT WOULD

BE SO BIG

20 | 29 AUGUST 2019 you.co.za^