Introducing our newest location as a collaborative for lush interiors, design, unusual botanicals, home luxury and of course, art – scary polony has arrived at Crafford & Co. in Paarl.
Under the highly experienced eye of South African interior designer Penny Crafford, a signature Victorian building has been lovingly renovated and quietly transformed, passing the baton of renewal and rejuvenation to the back streets of a quaint and quiet neighborhood that nestles under the watchful gaze of a giant, smooth granite rock from whence Paarl received it's name.
Indeed, the name for Paarl comes from the Dutch word meaning 'pearl'. It was first used in the 1600's by the Dutch explorer Abraham Gabbema when he witnessed the granite ridge and giant stacked boulders gleaming in the sun after the rains. The local Khoikhoi, indigenous to these lands long before the European settlers arrived, knew this ancient geographic relic as 'Tortoise Mountain'.
Crafford & Co. subconsciously draws on both the indigenous mythological underpinnings of Paarl's namesake together with the more modern Dutch one.
Much like the 'slow and steady wins the race' approach of a tortoise, the ethos of Crafford & Co. empasizes a tradition of slow growth, exceptional quality, local production and timeless craft. In her personal capacity, Penny Crafford banks with both a long personal and commerical history of interior design and upholstery spanning 2 generations and decades of experience in the South African home fabrics and upholstery sector.
Synonomous with Paarl's identity as a giant beacon of transformation that begins with a tiny bit of grit, the newly launched Crafford and Co. is something of a lush and radiant pearl in Paarl's renewal. Set amidst the grape growing and wine making surrounds of the Cape winelands Paarl is set to become an art and design destination much like her siblings Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Plush velvet textures, signature metal home accessories and mirrors (all manufactured by Penny's local manufacturing arm in Pretoria) and popping colour palette weave a fabric of confidence and a love for being at home in understated style and true comfort, that is felt the moment one walks through the door.
Amidst this destination retail environment, bathed every day in the scents of fresh fowers and unique botanicals by local florist 'Fresh and Green', our latest scary polony gallery makes an appearance to complement and adorn the walls of Crafford & Co.
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18 & Over
NAUGHTY AND NICEA reference to the risqué, the adult only, for limited "your eyes only", but in fact, this is the total opposite; a frivolity on perception on words versus image.
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Exhibition dates: October - December 2023
18 & Over. From the 18th century to the present. -
An exotic collection of South African and International works
Spanning from the 18th century to the present dayCarefully curated, the salon style presentation is indicative of the European salons of the past, showing an array of genre from 18thc French landscapes, through to mid century still lives and portraits from the likes of Neville Lewis, to Strat Caldecott and Douglas Portway.
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Robert Broadley
Nude, 1971But this isn't to say that there aren't a few cheeky nudes...(as expected) .
Highlights being the fabulous 18thc 'Nude with a White Veil' as well as a sensual Robert Broadley reclining figure, shown here.
So in fact, 18 & Over really caters for everyone... it's just a little bit sexy.
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PAST // Inaugural art exhibition, July - September 2023
Featuring David Botha and Max WolpeOur inaugural art exhibition at Crafford & Co. presented two famous and formidable artists, in two spaces. Our introductory choice was Paarl's most beloved and respected artist, David Botha, represented by an array of delicate watercolours spanning his full career. Included was a series of delightful works, extremely rare to the market, of paintings produced in 1951 on his honeymoon to Europe. Other works included famous landscapes throughout South Africa, both inland and coastal, as well as some unusual life drawings.
Inside the coffee shop of Crafford & Co. beneath the gaint antique chandelier and between the plush velvet textures we curated a 'Wall of Ceremony' paying homage to the rituals of tea and coffee by Cape Town based artist, represented by scary polony - Max Wolpe.
Wolpe's sensual brushstrokes in this series of oil paintings titled 'Tea and Coffee Cermonies' consider the delicacy of the modern rituals of coffee and tea and their affect on the psyche. An affect that so often bonds friendship, intimacy, conversation and sharing - the high arts if you will, together with a deep, meditative breath in an otherwise increasingly stressed and frenetic perplexing modernity.The ritual of tea and coffee, a love of beautiful things in beautiful homes, renewal of the self and the transformation of the spaces and places we inhabit are surely the honeymoons of this life. This was exemplified in our first art offering to grace the walls of Crafford & Co between July and September 2023.
