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R & Company Presents Porky Hefer’s Heart of Lightness

Cape Town, South Africa based Porky Hefer incorporates traditional South African craftwork into these hanging, creature-like cocoons that make up an exhibition entitled, Heart of Lightness. Presented by R & Company, the handmade pieces make up an immersive space encouraging visitors to reconnect with our natural environment in a playful way.

A collection of woven nests hang amongst patches of bright colors that spill onto the concrete floor letting visitors appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into each one. Hefer creates each one hoping people will climb in to experience the cozy, life-size nests for which they are intended.

From R & Company:

The title of the exhibition tackles the troubling connotations and perceptions addressed by Joseph Conrad’s classic, Heart of Darkness. Porky Hefer, who is from and lives in Cape Town, South Africa, is perturbed by the way colonialism perpetuated stereotypes that still exist today, which further preserve the overly broad classifications of Africa. This inspired Hefer to tackle the damaging role of largely unquestioned behaviors and perceptions.

Heart of Lightness remains on view through February 23, 2017 at R & Company in New York City.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.