House and Leisure – August 2019

ew private homes figure so prominently in the
story of South African art as that of curator,
educator and artist Karel Nel. The Modernist
structure, known as Mudhif, has become iconic
for its place in the imagery of Karel’s life and
work. It is also the space where the artist’s
collection of African and Oceanic art is housed,
resulting in Mudhif becoming a sort of museum
for those with an interest in the field.
Karel grew up on the property, which is
located in the quiet Johannesburg suburb of
Rivonia, and it’s here where he began collecting
and cataloguing objects as a young child. When
the property was subdivided on his return from
Berkeley, Karel began work on what would
become a semi-enclosed house and studio space
built around a large, dark pool. The structure
is reflected in its waters as a series of shallow
barrel vaults held up by thick mud-coloured
walls and large sliding doors that stack away
unobtrusively, allowing the interior to flow
freely into the articulated courtyard.
London-based architect Dexter Moren
worked closely with Karel, and designed the
building to incorporate a series of treasured