Fresh Talent: Modern Gesture

PHOTOS Brendan Newman WORDS Chantél Hans

Continuing our focus on Fresh Talent during June, Youth Month, we feature furniture, lighting and homeware design company Modern Gesture. It is the brainchild of Candice Lawrence, a vivacious and multi-talented young designer or – in her own words – “a creative and spontaneous, wild piece of work”, who also happens to play the classical guitar.

How did Modern Gesture come about and where does the name come from?
I studied surface design at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and my Bachelor’s thesis focused on people’s body language when conversing with each other at a table. While observing these bodily gestures – made with our hands, arms and elbows – I started thinking about how these gestures would look if they were to be imprinted on a table. The name “Modern Gesture” captures the present conversation in design circles, about how to inspire traditional surfaces with a contemporary appeal and feel.

Wood is quite a traditional medium. Why did you choose to work with it?
I’ve always had a soft spot for wood. The material offers the unexpected, which is like a metaphor for life. We are constantly carving away and refining our lives, but we can only plan and carve so far. Each piece of wood offers something different, encouraging me to be open-minded.

You describe every piece you create as having a story. Can you elaborate on this?
Each piece is a different conversation happening between my hands, tools and materials. I try to allow the process to guide me and stay open to what is emerging from the creative process. As the layers of self are peeled away, the product emerges and comes into being.

moderngesture.co.za

Celebrate Youth Month with us and browse more of our Fresh Talent profiles here.