Not only is Thabisa Mjo one of our illustrious Designers of the Year Awards recipients, but she was invited to participate in Ventura Future at Salone del Mobile Milano, arguably the most important design fair in the world. Here global visitors were invited to intimately pay attention to the details and the level of South African craftsmanship, which were elevated to create highly desirable pieces that adapt our cultural traditions ensuring the survival of vital skills that are shared with the next generation.
We sat down with Thabisa to learn more.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and what sparked your interest in design?
I’ve always loved storytelling – I majored in production design at university. After graduating, I worked in the TV and film industry as a production designer, so I was designing sets. One day it hit me that I was passionate about storytelling and using design to tell those stories.
It was also important to me that the pieces I designed existed in the real world, and not in the make-believe world of television. The objects are more meaningful and have more impact when used in real-world spaces.
What was your journey to becoming a prominent figure on the South African design scene?
Prominent figure? That’s funny! But thank you for saying that. It’s been quite eventful! I think consistency has played a significant role. Consistently showing up, delivering, tinkering, improving, learning, going back to the drawing board, and trying again.
Could you describe your design process? How do you typically approach a new project?
It depends who the client is. If it’s a commission, the goal is always to try and solve the client’s problem; if it’s a collectable piece I think about the story I want to tell – why should this object exist? What emotion do I want to evoke with it? It’s also informed by what I’m curious about when I start working on it.
For our general catalogue, I think about items that are scalable, which our in-house crafters can make consistently and in a timeous manner for our clients.
Your work has been exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, among other prestigious places. What does this international recognition mean to you, personally and professionally?
To have my work acquired by that institution for its permanent collection is absolutely mind-blowing to me. To think, years from now, it will still be there – the story, the craft, the design thinking... it’s very cool.
How do you think your exposure at international institutions will affect the visibility of South African artists and designers on the global and local stage?
It only affirms that we’re on the right track, and that our unique perspective adds value to the art and design world. That our stories, our heritage, our values and – most importantly – our skills are not only valuable, but world-class.
Your designs often reflect a fusion of traditional South African aesthetics and contemporary design elements. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this approach?
It started very organically. I’ve always loved history and I’ve always enjoyed storytelling. It wasn’t contrived, in fact, I didn’t even know I was doing it until people pointed it out to me. Now that I’m more conscious of it, I’m invested in being part of a community of designers whose goal it is to establish South African design as a category brand; a design destination.
What role do you believe furniture design plays in preserving and celebrating cultural heritage?
I think design helps keeps heritage alive, not only in our imaginations but in our physical spaces, too. It also ensures its continued existence because crafters and artisans are incentivised to continue doing this work and teaching younger generations.
Design allows this to happen because it’s a vehicle for creating economic opportunities for these practitioners, these cultural artists.
Could you share some insights into the challenges you’ve faced as a female designer in a male-dominated industry, particularly in the South African context?
There have definitely been instances where my instructions haven’t been listened to. Or I’ll be speaking to someone and, instead of addressing their response to me, they’ll turn to my male colleague.
How do you balance preserving traditional craft techniques with embracing innovation in your designs at Mash.T?
By staying curious – asking questions, doing research, engaging with other practitioners. Curiosity is a big one.
