100 Beautiful Baskets kick starts a festive celebration of local creativity – a large and comprehensive exhibition of African basketry at the V&A Waterfront.
The hand created decorations form part of the V&A Waterfront’s overarching Joy from Africa to the World project, based on a vision that kicked off two years ago to reimagine a festive season that celebrates the creativity of the African continent while honouring its commitment to environmental sustainability. In addition to the 100 Beautiful Baskets and Travelling Totems on display, the project is also underpinned by a festive spirit and compassion for communities. Commissioned pieces have created employment in the community that created them.
The installations challenge the traditional approach to the end of year celebration. The project heroes local design and sustainability and gives a rich, warm African welcome to visitors to the V&A Waterfront, the
continent’s most visited destination.
“Since 2019 we have set out to infuse the festive season with purpose and meaning. We didn’t want to do away with the celebration, but rather, we wanted to do it in a way that showcases authentic African stories, shines a spotlight on the creativity of the people of this country and continent and celebrates our heritage. We wanted to inspire locals and the rest of the world by sharing the story of a joyful Africa – it is our story, told our way,” explains Tinyiko Mageza, Executive Manager: Marketing at the V&A Waterfront.
100 Beautiful Baskets exhibition
The 100 Beautiful Baskets exhibition, which was curated by Platform Creative, will be open for public viewing from 25 November at the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre. The contemporary exhibition celebrates Africa’s unique basket-weaving traditions and showcases woven vessels, furniture, jewellery and much more from different communities – stretching from KZN, Ghana to Zambia and Uganda.
With a strong focus on Southern Africa’s diverse groups of basket-weavers, this first-of-its-kind free exhibition brings together some of the most revered names in basketry, giving this highly skilled handcraft the recognition it deserves. 100 Beautiful Baskets showcases African heritage moving into a contemporary world – a collective culture that all people from this continent can recognise, share and take pride in.
Each piece has all been carefully crafted by hand, by master weavers (mostly women) across the African continent, and behind every basket there is a story to tell and a person to meet.
One such story features master weaver, Angeline Masuku from Hlabisa in KwaZulu-Natal, who says it took her three full weeks – or 200 hours – to weave the Ukhamba Podium Basket on show at the exhibition. Angeline is well-known for her Zulu Art weaving techniques, as well as the materials she uses, and prides herself on creating unique designs true to her style and upbringing. She was only eight years old when her aunt, a competent basket weaver, started to teach her the skills of basket weaving. Even then, her aunt and the customers who bought from her, recognised Angeline’s technical skill and by the age of 18, Angeline was an artist in her own right, leading the way for the next generation of female weavers. .
WHAT: 100 Beautiful Baskets exhibition
WHERE: Old Nu Metro Cinema complex, Level 1, Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre (above H&M),Cape Town 8001
WHEN: Opens 25 November 2021 10am – 7pm daily
INFO: Visit
ENTRANCE: Free
100 Beautiful Baskets, V&A Waterfront, Joy from Africa to the World, environmental sustainability, Cape Town Green Map, MapMyWay, local design, Tinyiko Mageza, ,
