“As Fashion and Textile designers become more prominent in Africa, the world is getting into the habit of looking to the continent for emerging designers. These fresh new voices gather much of their inspiration from traditional patterns and silhouettes, blending the past into fashion’ future.”
A new book, co-edited by Design Indaba and Gestalten, AFRICA RISING delves into the heart of African creativity and the movers and shakers behind this movement. Although design is still a young industry on the continent, it is none-the-less thriving as a new wave of African creatives are on the rise and making a name for themselves in design, fashion, photography, and architecture across Africa and abroad.
Africa Rising: Fashion, Design and Lifestyle from Africa
AFRICA RISING aptly calls stereotypes and clichéd, western-imposed ideas of African design into question by giving readers a look into Africa’s fast-growing creativity, with pages bursting with African story tellers. Discover works by designers such as Nobukho Aqaba whose photographic work explores themes of migration and foreignness through the clever use of every day objects to the likes of Peter Mabeo, whose indigenous wooden bespoke furniture mixes traditional and modern design.
Celebrating the way art strengthens and unifies cultures and most importantly, invokes the multi-faceted richness of Africa, this book also provides readers with insightful essays from experts and artisans while providing insight into talented pioneers, outstanding projects, and the way craft can be a catalyst for social and economic developments.
Africa Rising: Fashion, Design and Lifestyle from Africa
The book, which launched on the 21st of September 2016 at Somerset House in London, was part of the programme of events for the inaugral London Design Bienniale with a panel discussion featuring designers Yinka Ilori and Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, Design Indaba editor Katie de Klee, and the founder of the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair Touria El Glaoui.
Buy your own copy here.
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