weaving wonders

at the craft & design academy pop up
prince albert karoo south africa 2024

the star loom from the sketch in copenhagen to reality in the karoo south africa. from the point of view that the karoo is one of the darkest places on earth where air pollution and lighting are virtually non-existent and therefore stars and the milky way are particularly prominent here. the star loom is designed for this purpose and based on the simple loom, built directly on the ground and in its full length, as the old tradition. the loom is built in collaboration with the 10 students at the weaving workshop weaving wonders. facilitated together with the South African textiledesigner Sibabalwe ndlwane.

the expression of weaving on the star loom shifts between active stillness—the students’ walks in the area after morning yoga and meditation—to an awareness of the 6th sense and what occurs ‘between heaven and earth.’

the pilot craft and design academy pop up was hosted at the karoo souk in prince albert and students were eager to absorb and learn new skills through experimentation with ancient techniques, new materials, and disruptive approaches. forming part of the milasande_org, professional designers from as far afield as sweden and local artisans facilitated creative workshops and mental health awareness sessions over two weeks, growing and guiding the young students to excel in their chosen art forms of either woodwork or weaving.

the aim of the project has been to ignite interest among young people in peri-urban communities by demonstrating the vast possibilities and opportunities within the design and craft sectors with the goal that unemployed youth and aspiring creative entrepreneurs are empowered with essential crafting and design techniques.
see more at milasanda_org

supported by
nordic culture fund
karoo looms weavery