Cape Town - The prestigious Table Bay Hotel at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront has been adorned with locally crafted festive décor by local artisans, illustrators, and designers just in time for the Christmas season to capture its guests.
With every decorative piece telling the story of an artisan, designer, or illustrator, these were also brought to life under this year’s festive theme “I saw three ships go sailing by to Table Bay in the morning.”
These decorative pieces include the works of the Embrace Collective, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people affected by and living with HIV and Aids, by creating job opportunities through the craft of paper mâché, and women artisans at Monkeybiz who beaded reindeers of all colours.
Designer Michael Methven created the gigantic hanging paper-mâché whale ship and in collaboration with other artisans also crafted a wooden cargo ship, ceramic yacht, and woven dhow.
Dubbed “Bold Roots”, Glorinah Khutso Mabaso’s decorations covered in patterns are a modern interpretation of traditional Ndebele paintings, usually applied to the exterior walls of homes, while “Tribal Vibe” honours Africa’s beadwork.
Mabaso said she hoped that visitors enjoyed experiencing the South African cultures while visiting the hotel, through her patterns that she said intentionally sparked a balance between the past, present, and future of traditional visual storytelling.
Methven said he hoped the guests react with awe, wonder, and a sense of delight to the decoration.
Through his whimsical illustrations, artist Michael Chandler hopes to capture the imagination of hotel guests this festive season.
Chandler said he wanted visitors to have some fun, and be irreverent, playful, and silly.
“This is what the holidays are for. What excites me about doing this project with the hotel is that it sits like the jewel in the crown of the Waterfront. It's right there. It looks smack bound to the mountain,” said Chandler.
Table Bay general manager Joanne Selby said their festive theme celebrates the hotel’s unique location, a beautiful bay that has welcomed hundreds of ships over the centuries.
Selby said through these decorative pieces they wanted to be meaningful while “making traditions a little more contemporary".
“These beautiful decorations welcome our guests to a wondrous festive season on our friendly coastline, where boats have arrived laden with surprises for more than 300 years,” she said.