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Untamed Artist, Michelle Markram, to create Organic Installation at Decorex Durban

The self-described ‘eccentric artist with a bohemian quirk’, Michelle Markram of Msquared (MSQ) Interior Design has big plans for the creation of the Painted Wolf Wine Bar and Bloggers Lounge, that will be featured at Decorex Durban from 18 to 21 March.

“Working with Michelle on this project has made for the perfect partnership,” said Sian Cullingworth, Portfolio Director: Lifestyle, Design and Retail Exhibitions. “Her passion for the natural world and sustainable living is something that resonates throughout the Decorex SA shows and the incorporation of this ethos into the design of the Painted Wolf Wine Bar is set to be breath-taking.”

An artistic passion has burned within Michelle for as long as she can remember, encompassing the outdoors in a uniquely creative manner throughout her career.

“I’ve always been obsessed with the organic lines and beauty of the humble tree,” said the Durban designer. “It was and still is an obsession. My family laugh about having to coax me to come indoors and spend time in reality, rather than in my world of imaginings with nature, my playground.”

Whatever environment she finds herself in, Michelle has a way of making it her own, finding beauty in the overlooked.

“I’m a curious person by nature and always keen to learn something new. My father’s construction site was my playground and, like a sponge, I hungrily soaked everything in. In contrast, my mother – an accomplished floral designer – lovingly provided another exciting playground for me to learn from. The greatest lesson she taught me is that space is the breath of art and wonder.”

These teachings have grown into Michelle’s biggest dream, encapsulated in the African Green Revolution whereby people learn to bring the natural world back into their lives, breathing life into every concrete jungle. Through her designs, Michelle creates vertical and rooftop gardens, transforms previously believed waste matter into stunning artwork and educates people about the sustainable ethos, working with and not against the environment.

“The African Green Revolution is still in its infancy stages,” she explained. “But it will provide the necessary vehicle for transition to a better future for earth’s inhabitants, as well as the environment which underpins us.”

The mother-of-three established MSQ in 2014 where she works with her ‘extended family’. Her deep love for her community pushed her to study towards a Psychology degree and her winning of the Miss Hibiscus Natal South Coast title in 1977 further allowed her to expand on services to the broader community.

Selective about which projects she will work on, Michelle feels she needs to be spiritually moved so as to ignite the creative solutions for the job at hand. Her design house isn’t beholden to any ‘signature style’ rather assessing every organisation and individual on its own merits before setting on a design path that will fulfil the needs of each.

“MSQ places nature at the forefront of the design process,” she said. “We do not believe in waste and this forms an integral component of the design process as we know it. Waste is not waste, it’s an unlimited raw material base for art that can only be described as sublime.

“It’s difficult to describe the feeling that naturally flows when you look upon an art form lovingly crafted from ‘junk’,” she continued. “Where humanity finds itself today is in dire need for reflection about the sustainability of the planet we call home. Undoubtedly my design trend is the African Green Revolution.”

This will be clearly evident throughout Michelle’s features at Decorex Durban which includes the Painted Wolf Wine Bar, Bloggers Lounge, as well as the entrance to the show. An intricate wooden sculpted horse form part of the welcome at the show’s entrance with a mosaic background, underground greenery, overhanging canopy and reconstructed water trough feature all creating a forest-like welcome.

Flowing through to the Painted Wolf Wine Bar, the written word represented in moss will continue the ‘urban jungle’ theme with carefully placed recycled bottles seemingly suspended and used to create a distance perspective. Hints of the white on white and the linear design trend will be cleverly incorporated into the bar stool design, with the colour theme extending into the Bloggers Lounge. Here, round tables will echo the decorative tree stump bases with plants suspended in the manner of Japanese hanging gardens, providing writers with the necessary creative inspiration.

To view the exquisite work created by Michelle and her MSQ team, visit KwaZulu-Natal’s premier décor, design and lifestyle exhibition portfolio, Decorex Durban – co-sponsored by Plascon and Caesarstone. Tickets are sold through www.computicket.co.za and at the door.

Decorex SA details:

Decorex Durban: 18 – 21 March 2017

Time: 18-20 March: 10am – 8pm | 21 March: 10am – 6pm

Ticket prices: Adults: R85, Pensioners: R 75, Children under 12: R20

Venue: Durban Exhibition Centre

Decorex Cape Town: 27 – 30 April 2017

Time: 10am – 6pm daily

Ticket prices: Adults: R95, Pensioners: R85, Children under 12: R20

Venue: Cape Town International Conference Centre

Decorex Johannesburg: 9 – 13 August 2017

Time: 10am – 6pm daily

Ticket prices: Adults: R120, Pensioners: R100, Children under 12: R20

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre

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