Translating inspiration. That is the catchline of this Cape Town artist who uses the element of fire to create furniture, art and more.
Alon Fainstein is a skilled blacksmith, owning and running a studio in Kensington called Alon Fainstein Forgings. It is here where Lightshedding was created – a large, light bulb-shaped piece of forged metal that is his statement about loadshedding in South Africa and our current energy crisis, it was recently featured in an exhibition.
The age-old craft is quite mesmerizing to watch, and it hasn’t changed much in a very long time. The raw elements are still all there to make timeless pieces and the skill has been passed on over generation upon generation.
Another aspect about the way Alon is keeping the art alive is by inviting clients to visit him in his studio to soak up the creative energy from the process of creating, forging and manipulating fire into art. A true experience of this ancient art right here in Cape Town.
When it comes to business, Alon works closely with clients to translate theirs, and his, inspiration when creating and interpreting concepts and ideas.
We spent some time at the studio to watch how it’s done:
If you would like to enquire about purchasing Alon’s art, get in touch with him at +27 82 729 1831 or [email protected].
Photography Josh Adams/HSM Images