There’s probably never been more belief in the abilities of the youth to affect the changes the world so needs, than right now. Increasingly the most inspired ideas, innovations, solutions and thought leadership is coming from the under-35 crowd.
In the Design Indaba Q211 Youth issue we gauge the creative temperature of a generation of pioneers, revolutionaries and out-the-box thinkers.
With the abundance of young creative talent we unearthed in our search for the very best, we found it impossible to select only designer to create the cover of the Youth edition. Fortunately, experimentation is at the heart of creativity so we went with three different covers for the same magazine. The colours used in three designs is the only factor that Laduma Ngxokolo, Adam Hill and Says Who all considered in their designs, with inspiring results.
We eavesdrop on a conversation between Maarten Baas and Christien Meinderstma, where they discuss integrity, success and alternative ambitions. From New York, Amelia Black considers Dror Benshetrit’s analogy of modern dance for aesthetically luxurious design. From luxury to sustainability, in Brazil Fibra Design Sustentál are rethinking the material world and investigating ways of reducing the environmental cost of quality design.
Photographer Paul Ward captures the creative essence of some of the most successful young South African furniture designers and makers in the Made shoot.
Zooming in on creativity closer to home, we look at Shy the Sun’s brand of quirky fantasy and how it’s broken commercial boundaries. Daniel Friedman asks if it is really possible to out hip a hipster, looking at the photography of Sean Metelerkamp, Musa Nxumalo and Chris Saunders.
Art school dropout Zander Blom is rocking the traditional art establishment in South African, while Renée Rossouw and Laduma Ngxokolo are exploring the abstract art of pattern making. And we meet West Coast forager Kobus van der Merwe, who has a unique approach to locavore cuisine.
Emerging from a creative identity crisis, local illustration is more than just a little illustrious. We also chat to Rahle Dusheiko who, with Pixel Project, designs experiences that blur the line between the physical and digital worlds.
Presenting the best of youth culture and creativity: Design Indaba Q211 Youth is on sale. It’s available at selected Exclusive Books, Woolworths and other stockists, or online.
