Southern Guild returns to Design Miami (30 Nov – 4 Dec) with Inkundla, an exhibition of handcrafted furniture and objects presented in an imagined domestic environment. Rich in their physicality and form, the works are bound together by a strong sense of materiality and by their exploration of spiritual themes. The booth will feature specially commissioned pieces by 16 of the continent’s most celebrated artists and designers, including ceramicists Zizipho Poswa, Andile Dyalvane and Madoda Fani; internationally renowned artists Nandipha Mnthambo, Porky Hefer and Rich Mnisi; design duo Dokter and Misses, and sculptor Stanislaw Trzebinski.

Beyond the literal translation of “arena” or “court”, Inkundla derives from the Xhosa term for the area at the forefront of a homestead’s cattle enclosure. It is a communal space for the sacred and mundane, for the exchanging of ideas, the unpacking of the day-to-day and the welcoming of all people.

With three distinct areas for unwinding, dining and connecting to the outdoors, Southern Guild’s booth features works whose narrative and symbolism elevate the everyday towards the divine. All things made by the human hand with such intent are imbued with an energetic significance capable of transforming our known worlds. Most of the works exhibited this year were made especially for Design Miami, including pieces from much-anticipated new collections by some of the artists. Highlights include a number of large-scale ceramic works by Poswa, Dyalvane and Fani; a richly patinated bronze standing light by Stanislaw Trzebinski; a hand-painted server by Dokter and Misses; and two works from fashion designer Mnisi’s first show of collectible furniture.

In the 11 years since Southern Guild became the first African gallery to present at Design Miami, the gallery continues to spearhead the collectible design and functional art category on the continent, supporting artists and designers in producing complex, genre-defying work.