Design Alchemy: Fruit of new friendships

Guild is back. Last year, Africa's only international design fair attracted more than 8500 visitors and worldwide coverage.

Along with pieces from renowned designers, Guild will showcase some interesting collaborations. Among others, the Haas Brothers (Los Angeles) will be collaborating with local crafters Monkeybiz and Cape Town designer Porky Hefer will partner Botswana-based furniture designer Peter Mabeo on a series of "human nests".

Peter Mabeo discusses his work with Porky Hefer

How did this collaboration come about?

I visited Design Indaba on the invitation of a friend, furniture designer Patricia Urquiola, and I wanted to work in Cape Town. Last year I was introduced to Yelda Bayraktar, who is designing and curating our exhibition space at Guild. She introduced me to her husband, Porky.

Has the union of your ideas and styles been successful?

Understanding Porky's weaving has been enriching. It's a natural process that's disappearing in the world. His approach to design exists mostly in those referred to as indigenous people.

Is it easier to work alone or with a collaborator?

It depends on the relationship. The more independent each collaborator is, the easier. By independent I mean free from fixed ideas about everything. This creates prejudices, a sense of "I know". While previous knowledge is always constraining in a way, I find that a designer who is independent approaches each project and collaborator with a freshness and an eagerness. The relationship that develops takes precedence over the project. I collaborate with people from different parts of the world, including the craftsmen and women I work with daily. Instead of adding more products to a world saturated with objects, attention is given to relationships, how we can promote craft and equality, independent of geographical regions, economy, social standing and historical background. So at Guild, the collaboration is really between the craftsmen and women and young designers.

Does the collection have a message?

There's no message. Nor is the work intended just for pleasure. It's an example, with an interesting and tangible result, of what's possible when people with different ways of working, aesthetic points of view, different backgrounds, countries and cultures, co-operate. Although geographically closer to me than most of my collaborators, Porky has been far away in other ways. The work is always about doing what's interesting and to question why it is interesting.

Your combined design philosophy?

Natural materials, an honesty of approach, working with the hand, real co-operation, and a simple, uncluttered way of seeing things.

Haas Brothers

What does good design mean to you?

Work (an object, a process, an image) that provokes awe or curiosity because of its conception, construction, innovation or emotional impact (Simon).

Good design does well what it was intended to do. An iPhone is the pinnacle of design. It functions well, but it's also changed the world in a technical and social context. Design can move beyond function. It can touch hearts and change the course of humanity (Niki).

How did your style develop?

Out of experience. We grew up in a creative household with few boundaries. (Simon).

By indulging my fantasies. Neither Simon nor I have a design education. We follow our noses. We want to develop in the direction of social interaction. Our pieces have a concrete function, and an abstract function - you can sit on it but it also makes you laugh, or feel affection (Niki).

Your furry furniture?

I was driving through Iceland when we stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere outside Reykjavik on a black sand highway. Behind the cashier there was a massive warehouse of fur. It was awesome and I bought tons (Niki).

Do you have a favourite piece?

There's a story about a giant black sheepskin day bed with big black horns that we made resting among a flock of Lalanne sheep in a tower in Switzerland (Simon).

Our book Volume 1has images of all our work. Our design philosophy, written by Simon, explains our head space (Niki).

How do you feel about criticism?

People have misjudged our work (our opinion, of course) as being ''quirky". We make it for ourselves but it reaches people through praise and criticism alike (Simon).

We've been called quirky and funky, which irks us, but the worst criticism is censorship because there is no dialogue. It's immature criticism. The best criticism we get is from each other (Niki).

Your collaboration with Monkeybiz?

The word ''craft" has been made a dirty word in the art and design world. Our project is about rejecting hierarchies in art and giving traditional craft and its makers due credit (Simon).

It is about empowerment. Everyone working on the project was given a voice - including us. The point was to share that voice and to grow it inside the community (Niki).

Is a sense of humour important in design?

For our own work it is, though we don't think it's a prerequisite (Simon).

Absolutely. Humour is specifically human. I think humanity in design is really powerful (Niki).

• On at The Lookout, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, February 25 to March 1, www.guilddesignfair.com