Southern Guild was named “Best Gallery” at the 2021 Design Miami/ Best of Show Awards for its booth at the fair, which ran from 1 – 5 December in Miami Beach, Florida. After a two-year hiatus, the gallery returned to Design Miami with the largest body of specially commissioned work ever created for an international fair. The booth, titled “Studio Visit”, depicted a ceramic artist’s working space, and featured an ambitious selection of work by four of the gallery’s leading ceramic artists, namely Andile Dyalvane, Chuma Maweni, Madoda Fani, and Zizipho Poswa. The panel of judges included renowned names within the art and design world, including AIA architect Lee Mindel; collector Al Eiber; art advisor Simon Andrews; Design Miami/ Vice President of Fairs, Grela Orihuela; and Design Miami/ Curatorial Director, Wava Carpenter.

Julian McGowan, co-founder of Southern Guild, designed the fair booth in reference to a working ceramics studio with large atelier windows and and the 65 new ceramic works displayed on banding wheels, pedestals and tables. These included monumental pieces and a cluster of maquettes by Zizipho Poswa, carved clay and timber furniture by Chuma Maweni, large-scale vessels by Madoda Fani and a number of sculptural new works and studies by Andile Dyalvane. The stand seamlessly incorporated furniture by two of Africa’s most accomplished and recognised designers, Cheick Diallo and Gregor Jenkin, adding to the atmosphere of the studio setting.

The judges were unanimous in their selection of Southern Guild, reported Trevyn McGowan. “Winning the ‘Best Gallery’ award has been very validating. The judges noted that the booth was immersive, had a strong viewpoint, and was thorough and deep. We didn’t present a room full of objects, but rather an entire world. We have always strived to have a unique voice as an African gallery – not to emulate other galleries – and you can really feel this distinction.”

Marking a long-awaited reunion for the international design community, the 2021 iteration of Design Miami centred around the theme, “Human Kind”, and featured an array of the world’s top design galleries.