Three artists from the multi-award winning Keiskamma Art Project (KAP) have lent their skills and particular aesthetic to a design collection facilitated by Clout/SA, a purpose-driven creative agency and business-to-business market maker that facilitates opportunities for collaboration between designer-makers and corporate clients. The striking results of the collaboration were unveiled at 100% Design South Africa in August 2023, where the KAP designs were showcased on wallpaper, as well as on a bench, chairs, scatter cushions and bolster cushions.  

Origins of KAP 

The KAP was founded in 2000 by Dr Carol Hofmeyer. It is located in the idyllic seaside village of Hamburg, where the project has produced major embroidered textile artworks. These, made by the women and men of the area, share their stories and experiences, bringing to visual life the oral history tradition of the Eastern Cape.  

Creating wallpaper from embroidery 

With curatorial guidance from Clout/SA’s creative director, Tracy Lynch, the three KAP artists, namely Anelisa Nyongo, Nozibele Nxadi and project director, Cebo Mvubu, were challenged to create an embroidered piece that referenced what a scenic and quintessentially South African wallpaper may look like. The intention of this approach was to allow the embroidery style of the artists to be expressed as a printed scenic wallpaper, as well as a collection of compatible printed textiles. 

Commercial opportunities 

The collaboration gives KAP a commercial opportunity that contributes to the livelihoods of the artists. The wallpaper is available from Cara Saven Wall Design, while the chairs are from furniture designer David Krynauw. Additionally, fabric enquiries can be made through Clout/SA’s website. 

Beyond the pieces exhibited at 100% Design South Africa, the decorative embroideries present an opportunity for interior designers, architects and homeowners to bring the aesthetic developed by the Keiskamma Art Project’s artists into a diverse range of spaces and built environments.   

“Sometimes there is the fear that if you mass-produce or digitally print original textile artwork, there is going to be a loss of quality or that you will lose the aura and spirit of the work, but this hasn’t been the case with this collaboration. It’s been pure passion and excitement for Hamburg and the work of the Keiskamma Art Project,” says KAP director, Michaela Howse. 

Issue: Taking large-scale embroidered artworks and creating commercial applications for them. 
Solution: High-resolution scans allow the embroidery style of the KAP artists to be expressed as a printed scenic wallpaper, as well as a collection of compatible printed textiles.

For more information, contact Keiskamma Art Project or Clout/SA: 

Email: michaela@keiskamma.org or cebo@keiskamma.org  

Website: https://keiskammaartproject.org/  

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