Nespresso South Africa has collaborated with local artist, Baba Tjeko, for its new World Explorations coffee range. The collection invites coffee lovers to discover the world’s diverse coffee tastes and traditions.
Introducing Cape Town Envivo Lungo, the partnership is a major move forward for Nespresso, which has paid tribute to South Africa by including its Mother City in the line-up of World Explorations Lungo coffees.
Building on the popular Lungo collection, the range showcases coffees inspired by cities around the world, including Stockholm, Shanghai, Tokyo, Vienna, Buenos Aires and Cape Town.
For Cape Town Envivo Lungo, Nespresso wanted to encapsulate the city’s boldness, vibrancy and colour. As such, the brand partnered with Tjeko to bring the soul of this coffee-loving city to life.
Tjeko, who regards coffee making and coffee drinking as an art form, said, ‘With World Explorations, Nespresso is celebrating coffee culture in different cities. In the context of Cape Town, it is really a vibrant and colourful city with an exciting jazz culture. I took these elements, along with iconic landmarks like Table Mountain and the Ferris wheel, the symbolism of a coffee cup, as well as Nespresso’s Cape Town Envivo Lungo packaging design, and integrated them into my visual language called Ditema, to come up with a design that reflects the beautiful energy of the Mother City through African designs, ideas and perspectives.’
Tjeko, a multi-disciplinary visual artist best known for his Ditema paintings and drawings, was first introduced to colour in preschool. ‘I remember being fascinated by colour, and it ignited my mind and imagination,’ he shared. Ditema is a form of Basotho mural art composed of decorative geometric patterns usually featuring objects from the natural world like farming fields, plants or animals. Ditema’s use of colour also aligns with that of Ubuntu and traditional African styles, but due to urbanisation, is now a dying art form.
‘Ditema gave me an artistic voice and identity, and through the collaboration with Nespresso World Explorations, I am able to fully embrace and encapsulate its beauty and tradition, and introduce the art to a new generation. Nespresso is rooted in how coffee is sourced by protecting traditions and how it is produced and enjoyed throughout the years. In the same way, I aim to keep the memory and history of Ditema alive,’ he concluded.
Tjeko’s artwork is featured in the Nespresso boutique windows at the V&A Waterfront and Canal Walk, and in some kiosks across the country.
