Visi – August 2019

NO

8

PHOTOS

RUSSELL

SMITH

• RUSSELLSMITH.CO.ZA

INTERVIEW

MICHAELA STEHR

BOWLED OVER

acoJansevanRensburg
andKayAbrahamsof
Envy&Cochatto us about
theirnewrangeof papier-
mâchébowls.Theseare madeby
crafterswho’reassistedthroughthe
WolaNaniCraftproject,a responseto
the needfor unemployedHIV-positive
womento earnan income.TheMineral
range comprises 12 original designs.

Whatinspiredthe collaborationwith
WolaNani?We are alwayslookingfor
interestingitemsmadelocallyfrom
recycledmaterials.TheWolaNani
productis biodegradableandevery
pieceis signedby the crafter,whichadd
layers of significance. It’s a wonderful

antidoteto the mass-produceditems

flooding the local decor scene.

Tellus aboutthe piecesin the range?

We purposefullymovedawayfrom

the curioaestheticby creatinga South

Africanhomewarecollectionfor Wola

Nani.Therangeis inspiredby minerals,

as we havean affinitywithmalachite

stone.We alsointroducednew shapes

to their existing catalogue.

Whatwasthe designprocessfor the

bowls?We chosethe themeandcolours

• malachiteandvariousmetals.Then
  we did sketchesof the shapesandwent
  throughthe processof prototyping
  with Zanele Ruth Zondi and her team of

craftersat WolaNaniHQ in Observatory.

We hopethiswillinspireother

designers to create their own ranges.

Whatotherplansdo youhavefor

the EnvyCollection?At the heartof

thecollectionis ourcommitmentto

collaboratingwithlocalartists,artisans,

craftersandbrands.Currently,we are

workingon newrangeswithHertex,

a jeweller,a fine-artphotographer

andan industrialdesigner.We are

alsointroducingEnvyDisco,a curated

celebrationof music,designandthe

culture of the ’80s. Watch this space.

envyandco.net

wolanani.co.za

J

DesignconsultancyEnvy&Colaunchedits EnvyCollection initiative with a range of

bowls made in collaboration with the NGO Wola Nani.

�ISI REASONS

visi.co.zaAUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 148