HLABISA BENCH

A sublime blend of cross-cultural storytelling, traditional skills and technology, it invites people to sit intimately for a chat while giving a strong sense of home. The undulating curved back inspired by memories of my childhood visits to the hills of KwaZulu-Natal.

The quirky legs were directly inspired by the potjies in my grandmother’s house. Using natural and dyed ilala palm in tightly coiled formation, the master weavers of KZN led by Beauty Ngxongo took 1,300 hours of intricate work to create the exquisitely patterned back. The Hlabisa was also created in collaboration with Houtlander.

According to the curators, The Hlabisa Bench is the first South African object to enter the Design section of the Centre Pompidou, of great importance for the museum’s collections because of its collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, at the crossroads of craft and design, local traditions and recent technologies.

Products are made to order. Lead time 9-11 weeks

DIMENSIONS: 2100H x 1100L x 450W