BY Unam Tsitsa < 1 MINUTE READ
Thabisa Mjo, creative director of interior and product design company Mash.T Design Studio is the winner of 2018’s Most Beautiful Object in South Africa. Being deeply embedded in a generation that is constantly seeking aesthetic presence at every turn, Mjo’s pendant light substitutes as an aesthetic pleasure that barely requires you to tilt your head up to notice it.
 
Nominated by entrepreneur Thato Kgatlanye, Mjo’s functional lamp is a reimagining of the ballerina tutu.
 
Every year, Design Indaba embarks on a journey to find the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa, in partnership with Mercedes-Benz SA. This endeavour then manifests as a competition that becomes open to the public. 
 
In February every year, the nominations are released and the masses are given an opportunity to cast their votes towards the Most Beautiful Object in SA award.
In her pursuit to create something different from the traditional, Mjo drew inspiration from African and Western styles. According to Mjo, it is referred to as the Pendant light because it is an advancement of the  iconic ballet outfit mixed with the hallmarks of an African counterpart, the Xibelani skirt. 
 
The Xibelani skirt is often worn by Tsonga women and is famous for its structural, tiered layers and colourful vertical pleats. Her team created the Tutu 2.0 Pendant light using thin steel rods as a frame, reinforced with tightly woven strands of wool and hundreds of red and black beads, not only making it an alluring piece, but also making it sturdy within its design.
 
Mjo’s varied sources of inspiration converge to form something distinctive – a daring chandelier that becomes the centrepiece of any room.  
For more information, visit: www.designjoburg.com/exhibitors/mash-t-design-studio/