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November 2, 2022
In Residence Insider: A local’s guide to Cape Town – with ceramic designer Jan Ernst
It’s been a whirlwind year for Cape Town-based ceramic designer Jan Ernst: he collaborated with Condé Nast’s South African edition of House & Garden on a collectible design exhibition (one of the country’s first), exhibited at Brussel’s COLLECTIBLE fair and completed a residency in Bordeaux, which would see many of his pieces splashed across the pages of Architectural Digest. In between, he’s also managed to establish a brand new studio for his eponymous ceramic brand in Cape Town’s city center, which will serve as the hub for his creative output, creating unique ceramic pieces for his ever-increasing base of fans and followers. This holiday season, Jan will be winding down and enjoying the best spots (many of them far from the madding crowds) his hometown has to offer – here’s his take on summer in Cape Town.
A trip that shaped you
An exchange program during my Masters of Architecture in Barcelona. It’s a city filled with centuries of incredible art and design – both historic and contemporary. While the city is very cosmopolitan, there is an appreciation and respect for local customs and traditions.
You have 24 hours in Cape Town, where do you go, what do you do?
For art and design, make a stop at Southern Guild gallery in the Waterfront. Enjoy a sunset on Signal Hill. For good food, Fyn restaurant won’t disappoint.
The one thing you don’t travel without
Polaroid camera
Best place to see art?
Zeits MOCAA or Noval Foundation
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Best place to see art that isn’t a gallery or museum
Driaan Claassen’s studio
Favorite local artist
Atang Tshikare. He is a multi-disciplinary artist and I appreciate the unusual way he tells stories and the variety of materials he uses.
Best cocktail in town
A negroni at Athletics Club & Social
Where do you go to get away from the crowds
The Karoo or Cederberg
This summer you’ll be…
Taking long walks in the forest or having G&Ts on a shaded verandah
Where do the locals hang out?
Tjing Tjing, Gigi Rooftop Restaurant, Blondies on Kloof Street
Dream dinner party, who do you invite?
Rogan Gregory, Jim Parsons, Sia, Yayoi Kusama
Dine in or dine out?
Dine out, at La Colombe or Kloof Street House
Truest thing you’ve recently read or heard
The universe always takes care of me
Favorite design decade
I appreciate Art Nouveau for its curves and fluidity, but Brutalism for its sculptural qualities
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Best place to shop ceramics
Imiso Ceramic and Vorster & Braye
Best beach
Oudekraal beach. It’s a bit out of town, not too big and protected from the wind.
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Favorite local designer
Ross Robertson of Oliver Whyte. I love how he challenges form and develops new material applications.
Place that makes you happiest
Cederberg mountains
Cape Town’s best kept secret
Smitswinkel Bay
Define Cape Town in three words
Cultural, Cosmopolitan, Creative
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