Shopfront: Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas...

11 December 2014 - 02:19 By Andrea Burgerner, Alexander Matthews and Rea Khoabane
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Our little helpers suggest some smart stocking fillers

Andrea Burgerner

  • A week in Rome in artichoke season. Nobody understands artichokes the way Romans do. The tickets must be for spring, when artichokes are offered at every deli, restaurant and market. Eat them deep-fried and crispy, Jewish ghetto style, or simply poached until silken and olive-oiled.
  • Gift voucher for Superella. Ella Buter's genius is sung, but not loudly enough. The integrity of her clothes is not just in the design but in how perfectly they're made. Wear them inside out and they still look good. Her shop is thoughtfully and beautifully curated. Corner 9th Street and 7th Avenue, Melville
  • Mauviel seamless pots from Culinary Equipment Company. Once you cook with these, there is no going back. They're pricey but worth it, and will last well beyond your lifetime. Branches at Hyde Park, 010-003-3198; Lanseria, 011-701-2200; and Stellenbosch, 010-003-3183

Alexander Matthews

  • At 800 pages, 2nd Hand Reading is artist William Kentridge's biggest book yet. It's a series of drawings done on old dictionary pages. The flipbook is playful and cerebral, exploring the intersections between words, meaning and movement. At Fourthwall Books, R850, 011-482-2899
  • Sam Nhlengethwa has done a series of lithographs paying tribute to inspirational artists including Henri Matisse and David Goldblatt. Printed at The Artists' Press print-making studio near White River, each print shows a beautifully rendered interior, with the artist's works displayed on the walls. My favourite is Tribute to Ephraim Ngatane which captures Ngatane's particular style with intense precision. But they're all beautiful - clever and warmly evocative. At Art Prints SA, R9200 excluding VAT, www.artprintsa.com
  • Breaking Ground, a conglomeration of steel picks that seems to float and surge above the unforgiving ground, was recently part of Zimbabwean Michele Mathison's fabulous show, Manual at Whatiftheworld Gallery, in Cape Town. It explored revolution and labour in a way that alluded to both a richly severe modernist past, as well as a troubled, chaotic present. At Whatiftheworld Gallery (this piece is sold) 021-447-2376

Rea Khoabane

  • Rock your way to the beachfront with this portable speaker. It has an iPhone 5 dock to sync with all your mobile music, making sure that all your tunes go wherever you do. At Makro, R1699, www.makro.co.za
  • Be a diva over the silly season and let your lipsticks change with your fluctuating moods. Channel your inner glamour puss with a range of lipsticks ranging from blushing pink to fire-engine red. Holiday Envy Coffret, from Estée Lauder, R785, esteelauder.co.za
  • Show off your roots while staying modern this Christmas with these hand-beaded iPhone covers in glorious African patterns. At vukile.batyi@gmail.com for R750
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