Africa Rising: The Vibrant, Bold, and Enigmatic

Africa Rising: The Vibrant, bold, and enigmatic new book from Gestalten is coming out September 27th. Africa Rising showcases the work of Africa’s young creatives alongside more established artists from the voluptuous continent’s vibrant metropolises. The African artistic spirit extends far beyond the canvas and studio; a new wave of African creatives is on the rise and making a name for itself in design, fashion, photography, and architecture across Africa and abroad.

While the colors, patterns, and crafts are profoundly rooted in African tradition, young designers infuse their creations with a delightfully discordant edge making them contemporary, unique, and truly pieces of African design.

Africa Rising calls stereotypes and archaic clichés into question. A comprehensive portrait of Africa manifests from marrying Peter Mabeo’s furniture made from indigenous wood or Nobukho Nqaba’s body of photographic work that handles the themes of migration and foreignness through the clever use of every day objects or the publicly-minded architecture of David Adjaye with the up-and-coming threads of Selly Raby Kane’s energetic fashion line or the soundscapes of Spoek Mathambo’s Fantasma that fix Bantu lyrics to computerized beats.

Insightful essays from experts and artisans contextualize each portrait and provide insight into talented pioneers, outstanding projects, and the way craft can be a catalyst for social and economic developments. The volume is co-edited by Design Indaba: a multifaceted design platform that garners worldwide critical acclaim for their annual design conference held in Cape Town. Africa Rising celebrates the way art strengthens and unifies cultures and, most importantly, invokes the multi-faceted richness of Africa.