Elana Castle discovers the work of South African designer Gregor Jenkin.
February 20th, 2012
Gregor Jenkin is one of South Africa’s most prominent furniture designers. His thought-provoking pieces are both metaphorical and technically advanced.
Clockwatcher
“My furniture is often inspired by the industrial and urban landscapes that surround me. However, I am primarily interested in making things,” he explains.
Working from a strong engineering base, Jenkin manufactures all his pieces in his Cape Town-based workshop. “I often push the boundaries of materials, but I ensure that all the design components can be easily assembled into commercially viable pieces.”
Engrained
In 2005, Jenkin designed his most iconic product to date – The Cape Table – a cut steel design with a striking, colonially-inspired edge profile. The piece was bought by the Conran Shop and it soon became one of their best-sellers, catapulting his career onto the international stage.
Cape Table
Since then, Jenkin has been fulfilling prestigious local and international commissions, in addition to extending his portfolio. His studio was given a weighty boost at the end of last year when he was invited to participate in Design Miami, an international and highly curated marketplace for collectible design.
Under the auspices of distinguished South African gallery Southern Guild, Jenkin presented Migrant Migrate, fourteen pieces reflective of South Africa’s highly disenfranchised migrant labour population.
Migrant Migrate – individual piece designed to stand like a herd of wildebeest (24 in total)
“It was great to be exposed to such a wide and well-informed audience,” he says. In addition, Jenkin’s pieces were well received, with interest from exclusive gallerists and international buyers.
Jenkin is now hard at work on his latest collection – a utilitarian range influenced by the furniture and architecture on Robben Island. Given what we know about his work, the pieces will no doubt extend and enhance the value of the Gregor Jenkin brand.
Gregor Jenkin
gregorjenkin.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
The leading furniture supplier solidifies its Asia Pacific expansion with an immersive new showroom space.
Australia’s leading producer of solid-engineered oak flooring has recently launched a new suite of innovative resources to support creativity and ambition in the architecture and design community.
Explore the captivating realm of molo, the world-renowned design studio led by Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen. molo’s acclaimed soft collection celebrates a unique fusion of art, design, and architecture and – crucially – sustainability.
A new tool developed from a UNSW associate professor and Cox Architecture is helping the Architecture industry move work to the digital world
On 10 July 2008, 188 guests celebrated the successful completion of the Sydney International Airport Car Park. Managing contractors Abigroup and architects DesignInc designed and constructed the eight level open deck car park and the cable stayed bridge that seamlessly connects into the Departures level of the terminal.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
ATMOSPHERE Architects use light and space to create the optimum opportunity for shopping and retail therapy. Time suspends and the imagination comes alive at Le Sélect.
Design Shop presents an inventive workspace for Ubisoft. Located in the Historic Exchange District of Winnipeg, this workspace amalgamates historical charm, local narrative and modern design elements to reimagine office design.
Health precincts are complicated, multi-dimensional places to develop, design, deliver and operate, writes Hassell’s Ben Rees. So, “how do we balance commercial imperatives with the need to foster connection, community and wellbeing?”