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South African craft in the spotlight at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026

Writer: thepressroomza
thepressroomza
Apr 20
4 min read

Curated by Garreth van Niekerk and Alan Hayward, a special South African presentation for SaloneSatellite brings leading makers, powerful images and contemporary craft excellence to Milan.



A curated presentation of contemporary South African craft will feature in SaloneSatellite at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026, taking place from 21 to 26 April 2026. The presentation forms part of SaloneSatellite’s 2026 special photographic pavilion entitled Skilled Craftsmanship + Innovation / Maestria artigiana + Innovazione, which brings together selected contemporary craft works from countries across five continents. South Africa has been invited as one of the featured national presentations.


The South African selection has been curated by Garreth van Niekerk and Alan Hayward, Executive Creative Directors of Decorex Africa and 100% Design Africa. Their presentation offers a focused view of a craft landscape shaped by material knowledge, cultural memory and contemporary design thinking, spanning ceramic, beadwork, weaving, textile practice and studio-based object making.


The selection includes works by Zizipho Poswa, Andile Dyalvane, Thabisa Mjo for Mash.T Design Studio, Frances v.H Mohair, The Keiskamma Art Project with Clout/SA, Ardmore Ceramic Art, Phumla Mramba for Monkeybiz, Jade Paton and DEFT Studios. Together, the works reflect the depth, ambition and distinctiveness of contemporary making in South Africa, showing how inherited techniques and local materials continue to generate new forms and fresh design languages.


Among the featured works are Poswa’s iUmthwalo, a monumental ceramic form shaped by Xhosa cultural memory and the lived labour of women; Dyalvane’s Isilawu (Purifying Herb), which translates ritual and cosmology into sculptural form; and Thabisa Mjo’s Liz pendant and Nest Shade, which draw on beadwork, coded communication and indigenous fibre traditions in contemporary lighting design. The exhibition also includes Frances van Hasselt’s woven mohair tapestry Renovations and Revelations, The Keiskamma Art Project with Clout/SA’s Stitched, The Story of our Home, Ardmore Ceramic Art’s Winged Adam and Eve, Phumla Mramba for Monkeybiz’s Bomkazi, Jade Paton’s La Terra, and DEFT Studios’ Checkmate.

“As curators, we wanted to present a selection that shows the range and seriousness of South African craft today,” say Garreth van Niekerk and Alan Hayward. “These are works shaped by skill, memory, collaboration and deep material knowledge. What links them is not a single aesthetic, but a shared sense of authorship and intent. Together, they show a field that is rooted in place, yet fully part of the global design conversation.”


At the heart of the presentation is photography itself. Conceived as a photographic exhibition, the project does more than document objects. It also celebrates the image-makers who help shape how craft is seen, understood and remembered.


Photographers, including Inge Prins and Frances Marais, among others, bring these works into view with sensitivity to texture, scale, atmosphere and process, allowing South African craft to travel not only as object, but as image, story and cultural record.

Ahead of Decorex Africa 2026, the appointment reflects the international recognition of the creative leadership behind the continent’s premier design platform.


For van Niekerk and Hayward, the exhibition is an opportunity to foreground South African craft within one of the world’s most influential design contexts, and to show the field not as a niche or secondary category, but as a vital contemporary practice. Across the selection, inherited techniques and local materials are treated not as source material to be mined, but as finished cultural value in their own right.


Van Niekerk and Hayward are Johannesburg-based creative directors and curators working across design, craft and contemporary culture. They are joint Executive Creative Directors of Decorex Africa and 100% Design Africa, and form part of the curatorial team at the Inside Out Foundation, which includes the Inside Out Centre for the Arts and Roger Ballen Centre for Photography. Van Niekerk is also the author of Veld: Gardens & Landscapes of Patrick Watson published by Penguin Random House.

Further details on the exhibition and related programming will be announced closer to Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026.


About Decorex AfricaDecorex Africa is Africa’s premier decor and design platform, bringing together the continent’s most exciting brands, designers and creative voices across two flagship shows in Cape Town and Joburg. Showcasing the best in interiors, furniture, lighting, kitchens, bathrooms and lifestyle, Decorex offers a curated view of design that reflects both global direction and local innovation.


Across both cities, the exhibitions combine immersive installations, designer-led showcases and interactive experiences, creating dynamic spaces to discover new ideas, engage with emerging talent and explore the future of living.


About RXRX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com.


About RELXRELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. *Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors



Decorex Cape Town

  • Dates:25 – 28 June 2026 | 10am – 6pm daily

  • Venue: CTICC 1, 1 Lower Long Street, Cape Town

  • Tickets: Online: Adults R150 / Onsite: R160| Pensioners/Students R120 | Kids

(12-16) R50 | Kids (under 12) Free | VIP R400

Decorex Joburg

  • Dates: 30 July – 2 August 2026| 10am – 6pm daily

  • Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, 161 Maude Street, Sandton

  • Tickets: Online: Adults R160 / Onsite: R170 | Pensioners/Students R130 | Kids

(12-16) R50 | Kids (under 12) Free | VIP R450

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