A unique initiative has been launched to mark this year's Mandela Day: an exchange of 'clay handshakes' between strangers and neighbours alike...
None more so than ceramic artist Hennie Meyer and architect Janine de Waal, with the duo running a World Design Capital project called Ukusela eKapa. More pics after cut....
Cape Town has been named this year's World Design Capital, an initiative of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design which aims to protect and promote the profession of industrial design.
And as part of this year's WDC forum, Ukusela eKapa, which literally translates to 'Drink Cape Town In', aims to stay true to its theme of 'Connections That Unite' by developing a way in which strangers across the Cape can exchange 'handshakes' via imprinted ceramic clay mugs, or iikomityi.
Today, 18 July 2014, the first Mandela Day since Tata Madiba passed away in December of last year, Meyer and the rest of the Ukusela eKapa team paired up with the Nelson Mandela Gateway in the V&A Waterfront to mark the special occasion.
A special ferry trip to Robben Island had been planned for the Ukusela team along with 60 other invited guests, as well as any locals and tourists frequenting the island on the day.
While the Mother City's weather ensured the ferry trip would not get the green light, it didn't stop all passers-by through the Nelson Mandela Gateway foyer from engaging with the design initiative.
Both South African citizens and tourists alike got the chance to 'squeeze' one of the 10,000 ceramic clay mugs on hand.
The idea is to create a hand imprint on each clay mug, which is then signed by the individual in question with name and age, and who then receives a special key ring in return.
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