Who would not agree with the idea to ‘Live more beautifully‘.
South Africa showcased a world of creators for the 10th edition of Design Indaba.
From designers that shape the world to being carbon neutral for the second year the Design Indaba Expo in Cape Town opens new paths by blending its African Roots and modern design.
Amongst the speakers were the ubiquitous Brian Eno, graphic designer Neville Brody and Heath Nash who I featured in a previous story.
Also present was The Eggman (not the Walrus), the creation of Gregory da Silva (pictured here).
The people of PingMag (Tokyo) offer an Excellent Two Part Summary of the event.
Also worth mentioning is 24.com Design. They show us the richness of what was displayed at the show from wooden rabbits to feather lamps and rainbow like dresses.
Other Cape Town flavors: It’s beautiful here: Hang your coat on Heat Nash’s words and Take the Stellenbosch Wine Route
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Great info, thanks a lot!!! I wish I will have such a writing skills.
The World Famous Eggman Cape Town ( A walking work of Art, Gregory Da Silva is more than an odd spectacle…).
Eggman Cape Town: A festival favourite for many years… The Egg Man is A true icon of Cape Town, Dancing and smiling around… Although usually wandering through the streets of Cape Town, Green Market Square.
Live more beautifully… Design Indaba, The Eggman and Cape Town. Who would not agree with the idea to ‘Live more beautifully’. South Africa showcased a world of creators for the 10th edition of Design Indaba.
Gregory da silva, A Symbol of African Unity
Who is that Guy with all the Eggs on his head that you see at all the
bestest Festivals in South Africa ? His name is gregory da Silva – An Artist
Comedian, Storyteller, dancer from Benin West Africa. Gregory da Silva ( Egg
Man ) was born in Benin West Africa, Voodoo Country. He speaks French and
English and is staying in Cape Town South Africa. Gregory da silva has
appeared at many Festivals, Conferences, Congress, World Expo in Africa and
is presently staying in Cape Town South Africa. Gregory has appeared at many
Festivals in Africa : The INDABA EXPO, GLC: The Global Leadership Conference,
The Masa Festival 2003 ( market for African Performing Arts) in Ivory coast
West Africa,
The grahamstown Festival South African National Art Festival,
The Innibos Festival in Nelspuit ( Mpumanlanga) Kunstefees…
The Hermanus Whales festival,
The Darling festival, The Gariep Kimberley Festival,Moorresberg farm Shows,
The Biltong Castle Larger Festival in Somerset East South africa,
The Stellenbosch Street Festival,
The Simonstown Penguin Festival South Africa.
He performs every day in Market Square Cape Town and adds an air of rio – style festivity wherever he performs. Many Tourrists from Germany, England, America, Italy, France, Belguim call Gregory : The Egg man. Very famous with the Tourists in South Africa.
A festival favourite for many years, the ubiquitous “Eggman” was back at the
2006, 2007 National Arts Festival Grahamstown, making an appearance at the Village Green.
A walking work of art, Gregory Da Silva is more than an odd spectacle – he is a symbol of Africa’s many diverse cultures…
A Symbol of African Unity
In the first heady years of the African Union, the world’s eyes are increasingly turned to the continent from which humankind first appeared. Beneath the seemingly impenetrable mask of violence portrayed in popular media, lies a living and thriving cultural climate which Des Warde finds well depicted by West African street artist Gregory Da Silva.
The outfit always turns heads, and each day it boasts a new feature, a new symbol of an African culture or practice.
His headdress weighs up to twenty five kilograms, his body is armoured with artifacts and his face painted with tribal patterns and an undying smile. Each day, Gregory Da Silva presents the city centre with a new display of his symbolic art.
Gregory’s voice is lively and he repeatedly offers phrases and words in French. Born in Benin, West Africa, 1979, he was trained in computer science at university, but went on to found a theatre group in Benin called ‘Voice of Spirit’ or ‘Voix de l’Esprit’ which performed politically motivated as well as comic and poetic theatre at the Benin National Library.
After receiving an invitation to perform at the MASA – Market for African Performing Arts – Festival in the Ivory Coast in 2003, where he represented his country, Benin, for a week before flying to South Africa. He sold his creations at the V&A Waterfront and began to grace the streets of Cape Town with his unique form of art. It was so unique it initially led the bemused Cape Town police to put him in the back of their car and call their superiors for advice! Naturally they were advised them to let him go and Gregory now enjoys a good relationship with the city authorities…
My attention is soon turned to his artifact-laden tunic which Gregory says is about “all African tradition, all African culture[s]” and he goes on to explain some of the more prominent objects displayed.
“Everything must be life,
everything must shine, and be positive”
First, he points out the clusters of sea shells hanging around his neck, saying that in Africa these shells were “old money” and once used as currency. He explains the eggs on his head dress as being symbolic of life and says “everything must be life, everything must shine, [and] be positive”. Next his hands grab the arcane black bottle near his waist to explain that in his culture, the Sangoma people would place “good spirits” in a bottle, with which they would “heal sick people [they] passed while walking on the roads”.
The broken shards of mirror found on his chest bear similar spiritual significance, and are often worn by Voodoo people in Africa and are said to be a kind of window into the spiritual world, and a “way to talk to [their] ancestor[s]”.
Gregory says his main inspiration or motivation is to “make people laugh” and “make people happy” and to represent different African cultures. He says he always thinks “how we can put all of Africa together to make [it] one”, adding that “not one country can be forgotten”.
When he is travelling in Africa, be it in Senegal, Cameroon, Mali or the Congo, the local people invariably look at him and say “ahh, that is our culture” as they see something of their own represented. “All Africa is in my clothes” he says, drawing attention again to his peerless suit.
When not walking St. Georges Mall or Green Market Square, Gregory features at the Grahamstown festival, the Hermanus Whale Festival, has been hired to receive guests at hotels and airports, and has also appeared on SABC 2 and E-TV News.
He is very popular with tourists, especially those from Italy, England, America and Germany, who frequently ask why he does not come over and do his thing in their own country. But he says his focus is on Africa. Pictures of him certainly do get back to their countries though, as Gregory says everyday “hundreds” of pictures are taken of himself, usually posing with the tourists.
Asked about his dreams and ambitions, Gregory (or the “Egg Man” or “Ei man” as he is also known) says that this year he is planning on starting an art school, which is part of his ‘Project For Africa’ for this year. He wants to impart creative knowledge to South African youth, giving them the power to create beautiful things and also to support themselves, all part of his ultimate venerable ambition to “[bring] Africa together to make one”.
Indeed, and good luck to him. Egg On His Face But He’s Happy
The ‘Egg Man’ – a true icon of Cape Town dancing and smiling around the exhibition stalls.
The first thing you noticed when entering the Indaba Expo was the legendary Cape Town ‘Egg Man’. Nobody quite knows why he dresses and runs around like that, but everyone loves and supports him with whatever change one has available. Although usually wandering through the streets of Cape Town – for the Design Indaba Expo he smiled at every visitor shaking his bells and singing a made-up ‘Desiiiiiign Indabaaaa’ song at the entrance and throughout the exhibition. A great individualistic and certainly strongly local impact to start off with!