Collectible design from Africa is represented for the first time at The Salon Art + Design in New York where Southern Guild presents work by 21 South African artists showcasing the exquisite craftsmanship and rich narratives that make the country’s design unique.

“The Salon is extremely pleased to welcome Southern Guild, our first South African exhibitor to the fair,” says Jill Bokor, executive director of The Salon. “I have been seeing their work at other shows in the past few years and have always been impressed by the breadth and diversity of its designers and by the overall aesthetic of the gallery. We look forward to introducing our visitors to new designers and their uncommon use of colour, materials and form. It’s always exciting to include a different culture bringing new sensibility to the fair.”

Says Trevyn McGowan, co-founder of Southern Guild: “Collectively, the work we represent collapses the borders between craft and design, ‘First’ and ‘Third’ Worlds, designer and manufacturer. Part of what makes our work so unique is that it is complex and divergent – it can’t be collapsed into a neat overarching ‘identity’. Many artists draw deeply from their personal histories, cultural heritage and indigenous crafting traditions, interpreting them in contemporary ways. But their work is all stirring and tactile, familiar and strange at the same time.”