Master class: Meet the brains behind the new Pierneef-inspired collection

With art being such an integral part of our heritage it is wonderful when bright minds celebrate and reinterpret old Masters in a unique and beautiful way. Rest Established, a small photographic and product development company owned by Bianca Grobbelaar, recently launched a collection that commemorates SA artist Jakob Hendrik Pierneef’s masterpieces in a perfect and welcome example. We catch up with Bianca to find out how this wonderful local initiative came about during such turbulent times.

Where did it all start?

I love art and love visiting museums abroad, especially if I can bring something back of a particular artist that I like. I bought myself a pair of Mona Lisa socks at the Kunsthalle in Hamburg in July 2019, and that got me thinking that nowhere in SA can you buy functional art products that are inspired by our masters. I got back and started with product research on SA artists but also products that can be produced locally to support small businesses. It was important for me to get local printers, weavers, knitters, craftsmen and embroiderers involved to make sure that this project will provide work for the underprivileged. It was only in March 2020 that I contacted La Motte museum about their Pierneef collection. A few days later we went into lockdown, but the dream lingered. 

A big part of the story is to give back. A lot of people know Pierneef’s works but what a lot of people don’t know is that Pierneef was very fond of the different people groups in South Africa. His house in Pretoria is called Pierneef’s Kraal and below is an interesting excerpt from La Motte’s website on the inspiration behind the Kraal buildings:

The inspiration behind the connected buildings placed in the shape of a kraal originated specifically from the Xhosa culture. Referring to other African or indigenous tribes, Pierneef named the land Elangeni ,which in Zulu means ‘in the sun’. An eland motif was carved in the front door wood and above the fireplace an image of an antelope was cast in sandstone. Both these works were executed by Coert Steynberg and were typical of Pierneef’s attraction to San rock art.  

At the time that the farm was bought, there were foundations of an earlier indigenous kraal on the land, and Pierneef decided to incorporate these foundations in his own ‘kraal’. The layout of the different buildings created several small patios. Inside these patios Pierneef could make his own gardens, containing some of his favourite species such as shrubs, thorn trees and Kiepersol trees. 

I also created an interactive art piece with the artwork, “Willow tree, fountains Valley”. We pixelated/divided the painting into almost 3,000 x 3 x 3cm blocks. You can buy a block for R10 and attach a piece of fabric to the artwork in aid of Aitsa Aftercare in the Dwarsriver Valley in Kylemore, Stellenbosch. The interactive piece is also on display at La Motte Museum.

What do you aim to accomplish  and/or communicate with this collection?

My vision is to make art functional and accessible to the public and to educate them on the Masters of South African art. But also, to create jobs for those who are underprivileged.

What were your main challenges during the creation of this collection?

Financing was a big hurdle at first as the whole project got financed out of our own pockets. A week after I saw La Motte in 2020, we went into lockdown, so I had to wait it out. During that time, I did a lot of research on items that I wanted to launch with.

It is also tricky to keep everything local as a lot of our big textile manufacturers closed down during Covid-19.

From sending the first e-mail to the launch at La Motte took two years.

Where can we buy and view the Pierneef collection of furniture and apparel?

From The Voice Collective. All items are currently on display at La Motte Museum and his house, Pierneef’s Kraal, in Pretoria.