Johannesburg-based creative Siyanda Mazibuko, one of Design Indaba’s 2016 Emerging Creatives, is a furniture builder who recently started designing and building his own career through pure enthusiasm and picked-up skill. His signature line, PATE, is a homeware and furniture range designed for the socially conscious.
Many of Mazibuko’s products are made from upcycled or second-hand materials, and all the pieces of wood are purchased from local suppliers.
“My previous business focused specifically on upholstery. Being part of the previous business exposed me to a broader perspective of design. It also showed me how wood can be used to create homeware. I literally developed an obsession for woodwork,” says Mazibuko.
“I grew as a designer and that was the birth of PATE. PATE Arts and Crafts is about giving a design experience through imagined ideas, to a building process and to a finished product.”
Although Mazibuko was always creative as a child and took art all the way through school, he never had a formal education from a design institution. He did, however, receive training and assesment from Furntech, South Africa’s only furniture incubator, which teaches its students vocational and business skills.
The inspiration for the Lambo stools, which form part of the PATE range, came from modern geometrical design, which consists of an exact and neat lining.
“When the stools are placed next to each other they appear inseparable and look like two Lamborghinis parked together. The Mboba chair symbolises African strength and aims to portray a characteristic of a solid presence. I’ve also joined an African theme with a modern design to give a very distinctive look and feel. The word Mbona means 'beats'.”
Mazibuko aims to bring together western design inspiration with his African heritage. He always aims to keep his designs authentic.
Siyanda Mazibuko is part of the Design Indaba Emerging Creatives Programme 2016.
