ZENZULU | DESIGN / ONTWERP
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ZENZULU - South African Design business
ZENZULU creates modern products created with transitional techniques.
ZENZULU was established by the designer Marisa Fick-Jordaan in 1995. Her interest in transitional craft forms led her to start a weaving project with telephone wire in an informal settlement outside Durban.
Her aim was to create a fusion of transitional techniques and modern materials to create cutting edge modern designs of African accessories and home products with global appeal. The works are original, innovative, handcrafted, eco-friendly and sustainable. It is traded fairly to sustain community development.
Zenzulu produce quality products for corporate and private interiors locally and internationally for the high end of the market. Designs are regularly updated and manufactured to very high standards to meet the demands of an ever-growing market. Among their clients are well-known designers like Oscar de la Renta and the design store of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris.
Some works are inspired by natural forms such as leaves. Others are inspired by lace as well as the basket weaving techniques of the Zulu people.
Zenzulu make handcrafted products, including bowls and vessels of various shapes and colours. These are hand-woven decorative artworks which include specialty ranges and custom designed products. They also produce fashion accessories and holiday ornaments in which they combine beads with telephone wire.
Traditional basket weaving techniques are used with telephone wire. As the products are handcrafted there are slight variations in size, shape and colour. The bowls and vessels are hand-woven from PVC-coated copper or mild steel wire. The products need to be cleaned with a damp cloth or gently washed with a mild soap and kept away from direct sunlight. Instead of using the traditional weaving materials of the area, they use modern materials and fuse it with the technique used by master weavers – a coiled basket technique. The products are all eco-friendly.
Zenzulu started off with only two master weavers, a group of skilled beaders and a couple of Zimbabwean refugees. With eventual funding secured, she started with skills training and had to find someone to be able to create more baskets and coerced a wire manufacturer to supply wire in different colours. Today Zenzulu provides sustainable jobs for more than 350 home-based craft producers in four different communities. To ensure sustainability, their products are constantly updated and fair trade is always adhered to.
ZENZULU skep moderne produkte deur gebruik te maak van traditionele tegnieke.
Zenzulu is gestig deur die ontwerper Marisa Fick-Jordaan in 1995. Haar belangstelling in oorgangshandwerkvorms het haar gelei om ‘n weefprojek met telefoondraad in ‘n informele nedersetting buite Durban te begin.
Haar doel was om oorgangstegnieke en moderne materiale saam te smelt om sodoende moderne voorloper-ontwerpe van Afrika-toebehore en huisprodukte met ‘n globale aantrekking te skep.
Die werke is oorspronklik, innoverend, handgemaak, ekovriendelik en volhoubaar. Dit word regverdig verkoop om gemeenskapsontwikkeling te onderhou.
Zenzulu produseer gehalteprodukte vir korporatiewe en private interieurs, plaaslik en internasionaal vir die hoë-inkomste-mark. Ontwerpe word gereeld opgedateer en volgens baie hoë standaarde vervaardig om aan die vereistes van ‘n steeds groeiende mark te voldoen. Onder hul kliënte is welbekende ontwerpers soos Oscar de la Renta en die ontwerpwinkel van die Museum van Dekoratiewe Kunste in Parys.
Sommige werke is geïnspireer deur natuurlike vorme soos blare. Ander is geïnspireer deur kant sowel as die mandjieweeftegnieke van die Zoeloe-mense.
Zenzulu maak handgemaakte produkte, insluitende bakke en houers van verskillende vorms en kleure. Hierdie is handgeweefde dekoratiewe kunswerke wat spesiale reekse en verpersoonlikte ontwerpprodukte insluit. Hulle produseer ook modebykomstighede en vakansie-ornamente waarin hulle krale met telefoondraad kombineer.
Tradisionele mandjieweeftegnieke word gebruik met telefoondraad. Omdat die produkte handgemaak is, is daar geringe verskille in grootte, vorm en kleur. Die bakke en houers is handgeweef met PVC-bedekte koper of sagtestaaldraad. Die produkte moet met ‘n klam lap skoongemaak word of liggies gewas word met sagte seep en weggehou word van direkte sonlig. In plaas van die gebruik van die tradisionele weefmateriale van die omgewing maak hulle gebruik van moderne materiale en smelt dit saam met die tegniek wat gebruik word deur die meesterwewers – ‘n opgerolde mandjietegniek. Die produkte is almal ekovriendelik.
Werkskepping en volhoubaarheid
Zenzulu het met net twee meesterwewers begin, ‘n groep geskoolde kralewerkers en ‘n paar Zimbabwiese vlugtelinge.
Met die uiteindelike versekering van befondsing het sy begin met vaardigheidsopleiding en moes iemand vind om meer mandjies te kan skep en het ‘n draadvervaardiger oortuig om draad in verskillende kleure te voorsien. Vandag voorsien Zenzulu volhoubare werksgeleenthede vir meer as 350 huisgebaseerde handwerkprodusente in vier verskillende gemeenskappe. Om volhoubaarheid te verseker, word hul produkte voortdurend opgedateer en regverdige handel word altyd nagekom.
CAPS: Gr 12 CAPS: Gr 11 CAPS: Gr 10