I live and teach in Durban, a city where 3 cultures meet: European, Indian and Zulu. Each of these culture has aspects that I draw on for my design and pedagogical activities. I use the European/Western pre-occupation with bricolage as a starting point to mingle the design elements of Indian and Zulu visual culture with my own quest for the design and development of new jewellery forms. I use ceramics in a traditional European manner and combine it with Zulu and Indian decorative pattern, incorporating found material, such as the recycled string that is sold as ‘shoe-fixing’ string by street vendors. My intention is to spark the interest of my multi-cultural students in their own diverse ethnic backgrounds.
