Heath Nash
I Founded Our Workshop
I attended the Michaelis school of Fine art, graduating in 1999. In my final year I made a whole lot of offcut-card geometric folding structures, playing with the idea of making three dimensional sculptures from a flat substrate, but which could fold flat again.
Making this work, I learned a lot about interesting geometries, structures and the work process I still follow today – trial and error.
After my studies I eventually started a manufactory under my own name making lighting from upcycled post consumer plastic waste, becoming somewhat famous. This also gave me the opportunity to travel internationally quite extensively, attending many design events in different parts of the world.
When I closed that business, having learned a lot about manufacturing and business in general, I became a part of a British Council project called the Makerlibrary Network, a world design capital project started in 2014.
https://www.britishcouncil.org.za/programmes/arts/connect-za/maker-library-network
This experience, which taught me a lot about programming a space and making a shared workshop by running my own Makerlibrary in Harrington Street for 2 years, led to the founding of Our Workshop in late 2016.
It didn’t work in Central Cape Town for many reasons, mostly because of the difficulties of Cape Town’s racial geography.
Then we moved into an unused workshop space at the Guga S’thebe Cultural Centre in 2017. Hence the beginning of an amazing journey – my 100% socially motivated design journey.
About me at Our Workshop:
Being a member of Our Workshop has been the most incredible privilege.I’ve made some of the best friendships of my life, and had the opportunity to learn so much about a different side of my city.