Atang Tshikare is a multidisciplinary creative based in Cape Town, who has specialised in sculptural furniture since 2016. Born in 1980, he has been drawing for as long as he can remember. A self-taught artist in a wide range of media, he was influenced by the visual storytelling and graphic style of his father who illustrated for various PanAfrican publications and arts magazines.

Atang began a full-time art career in 2010 with his company Zabalazaa Design, collaborating with local artists and working on commissions with brands such as Adidas Originals, BMW and MTV Base. He exhibited limited-edition work with Southern Guild from 2012-2020 and his collectable designs have evolved into sculptural furniture and functional art in a variety of materials including ceramics, wood and bronze.

Atang’s work takes an experimental approach to fabrication, as he prefers making his pieces by hand. His narrative-laden designs spring from his fertile imagination and deep connection to his own Tswana and other Southern African cultures, drawing on his interest in vernacular architecture, landscapes, biomorphic forms and zoomorphic shapes.

He has exhibited broadly, including at international design fairs and museums such as Design Days Dubai, Design Miami and Design Miami/ Basel, as well as the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. He is the recipient of the Design Foundation 2014 Future Found Award and has been featured in Architecture Digest, Surface Design, Nataal, PIN-UP Magazine, and on Dezeen, CNN and BBC. His most recent commission for Dior was exhibited at the Salone del Mobile 2021 in Milano.