5 Books That Inspire Leaders in South Africa’s Creative Industries
Piet Boon I by Studio Piet Boon
“I have been a Piet Boon fan for 24 years. The epitome of elegant classic modern timeless design like just the Dutch can do. All his books over the years has been a great inspiration, the first one was published in 2001, titled Piet Boon 1. After 22 years, time and again I go back not only for inspiration, but also to view timeless elegance, strong lines and symmetry. Despite the style being modern, it’s still homely, warm and layered.” ― Sumari Krige, CEO of La Grange Interiors
Making by Thomas Heatherwick
“This book explores the connectedness of design and function, and it has been a great source of inspiration for me. It assesses the ultimate use of things and how it fulfils its function, but taking aesthetics into account every step of the way.” ― Colin Braye, Ceramicist and Co-Founder of Vorster & Braye Ceramics
Various works by Ken Wilber
“It is difficult to narrow it down to one book. Reading itself has been informative throughout my life and design career. As a general topic the theories on evolution and natural selection have been inspiring to me as a designer for example the philosophical world view of Ken Wilbur, because in a way, design is about how we evolve culture. There’s a correlation between the principles of evolution that apply to biology and those that apply to culture. So I’ve been exploring and reading a lot about evolution of life and humans as I see my role as a designer as being part of shaping cultural evolution. We’re constantly trying to improve things and create successful designs that last and get built-upon.” ― Haldane Martin, Designer and founder of HALDANE
Wabi Inspirations by Axel Vervoordt
“I love telling the story of a house: the way that people and families live in their homes, the inter-connectivity of the spaces, and how each separate room makes them feel, and I love the way light comes in and informs the mood inside. For these reasons I’ve been a fan of Axel Vervoordt for a long time. Wabi Inspirations is a must-have.” ― Greg Cox, Photographer
Olivier Dwek: In the light of modernity by Philip Jodidio.
“I love how Olivier has developed a culture of discretion over his body of works. His love of combining old and new is at the centre of his design ethos. Which I can relate to. Everything should have a story giving a space a sense of place.” ― Dylan Thomaz, Founder and Creative Director of Curacion Studio
