‘D’Zair Art and Craft A Johannesburg’, is an unprecedented exhibition of contemporary Algerian design. The title itself, demonstrates the many cultural and geographic influences on the project. D’Zair is local Arabic slang meaning Algeria, Art and Craft is English, and À Johannesburg is French.

Hellal Zoubir, the curator of the exhibit, has commissioned works by 13 key designers whose work is made in Algeria. Many of these one-off design pieces reflect Algerian designers’ reliance on traditional artisans because of the lack of local prototyping manufacturing capacity.

Mohamed Ourrad

Zoubir emphasises the fact that drawing the line between craft and design, artist and designer, is not always easy – and many practitioners themselves don’t choose one or the other.

Walid Bouchouchi

Hellal Zoubir

Algeria has close ties with the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern worlds, but it is unusual and unique for this exhibit to be conceptualised for South Africa.

Designers:

•Yamo

•Ourrad Mohamed

•Matari Jamel

•Mammeri Leila

•Hamiane Samir

•Benmansour Hamida

•Krinah Mourad

•Idir Messaoud

•Bekebir Amine

•Rahli Neila

•Issadi Said

•Bouchouchi Walid

•Zitouni Radia

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