Africa

Art is subjective, I get that, but you can’t deny the beauty in something that’s so incredibly detailed or defined. I was introduced to a very special South African design studio called Ardmore Ceramic Art through Dubai’s newest arts hub in Al Quoz… Zebra Square Gallery.

Sitting in a room of their own, beautiful vessels adorned with all the animals of Africa sit proudly waiting for a home. Each piece is 100% unique and can take weeks to hand mould, shape and paint, and you’ll find the artist’s names written on each of their handiwork. The heritage of the brand is equally as special… Christie’s has acknowledged Ardmore artworks as “modern day collectables”.

Fèe Halsted established her brand on Ardmore Farm in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains of Kwa-Zulu-Natal, South Africa. Fee then offered other local women the opportunity to become apprentices and train. The heroes in these pieces, the artists, both now men and women, all hail from this province too. The art pieces themselves are so heavily detailed, you’ll discover a new animal or detail on it every time you look. Halstead talks about adding animals as a way of hiding any cracks from her original rudimentary kiln and style of firing the clay, and now they are synonymous with the brand itself.

Ardmore is now making a name for itself internationally. Halsted once talked about a treasured silk Hermès scarf she owned. Heavily embellished with the prints of both animals and tropical plants, it was a piece that helped inspire her personal creativity. This relationship has now come full circle, thanks to a recent collaboration between Ardmore and French fashion house Hermès, it’s these South African delicate and detailed designs that now adorn the silk collectables.