Dokter and Misses

Now splitting their time between Johannesburg and New York City, Dokter and Misses is a multi-disciplinary product design company founded in 2007. Hugo and Taplin's respective industrial and graphic design skills combine to create work described as “modernist, where strong construction lines and a bold use of colour create graphic shapes and spaces.”

The studio's work has always been inspired by the city in which it was originally conceived and produced: Johannesburg. Their innovative designs – including both limited-edition and production furniture, lighting and interior objects – have captured the attention of interior design enthusiasts across the world and defined an original aesthetic that is distinctly modern and African.

Several designs feature contemporary reinterpretations of traditional African patterns. The LALA Shwantla combines Art Deco inspiration with the geometry of Basotho patterns, while their Kassena series references the adobe structures of the Kassena people of Burkina Faso. Other pieces, such as Sun City (hth), combine super-realistic airbrushed graphics with graphic steel forms, creating a multifaceted work layered with political, historical and cultural South African narratives.

Hugo and Taplin’s solo exhibition at Southern Guild, Practically Everywhere (2019), continued their strong graphic signature while experimenting with a more radical aesthetic. The collection of sculptural cabinets in timber, steel and glass was inspired by the visual noise and discordance of urban ecosystems and sought to convey this sense of entropy. The furniture featured jagged shapes, odd proportions and stacked forms overlaid with gestural marks and textural surface treatments.

Dokter and Misses’ work has been featured in international exhibitions, including Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design at Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany (2015); Beauty, part of the Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York (2016); Grains of Paradise at R & Company in New York (2015); and Graphic Africa at Platform Gallery in London (2013).

Their work has been shown by Southern Guild at fairs including Design Miami in the US and Basel, The Salon Art + Design and Collective (both in New York), Investec Cape Town Art Fair and Design Days Dubai.

Dokter and Misses won the Icon Award at the 2015/2016 Design Foundation Awards, and participated in the ground-breaking programme Design Network Africa, initiated by the Danish Centre for Culture and Development (CKU) (2012-2014).