manifesto
maker, metal and glass
2026 : 04
a chit-chat with sculptor, designer, and visual storyteller Ndivhuho Rasengani – tracing the past, present, and future of his work, practise and atelier
okay, so, let’s pretend this is our first date! tell us about yourself – your backstory, where you’re from, what you do, etc, etc, etc…
I’m from Johannesburg, working between art, design, and spatial practice through Rasengani Atelier. My background in architecture shaped how I understand space – not just as structure, but as something felt through light, movement, and material.
Early on, I became aware of how movement through landscapes and cities shapes perception. That sensitivity to spatial conditions continues to inform my work today.
I later studied sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design, where I began working directly with material – developing a language through glass, steel, and concrete. The work now focuses on creating sculptural environments that explore how space is constructed, experienced, and inhabited.
I spent time in Limpopo at my grandfather’s home, where there was an old tractor that no longer worked. I was fascinated by it – not as an object, but as a system of parts that could come together to function again.
That experience shaped how I think about making: understanding structure, material, and the relationship between components. It was an early way of learning how things are built – and how small interventions can shift their function or meaning.
My work is grounded in how materials shape spatial experience. I’m interested in how surfaces meet, how they reflect, absorb, or hold light, and how these interactions influence how a space is felt.
Glass and steel allow me to work with both structure and atmosphere. Steel provides precision and framework, while glass introduces light, reflection, and permeability.
Together, they become tools for developing spatial interventions – works that operate not only as objects, but as elements that can define or transform an environment.
word’s out you’ve just been selected as one of the 12 finalists for the SPW Ventures Foundation programme (congrats!)… anything you’re allowed to share about your project yet?
This project, made possible by the Sanlam Private Wealth Ventures Foundation, marks an expansion of the atelier’s material language into textiles and soft structures. It’s an exploration of how tactility, softness, and layering can introduce a different kind of spatial presence.
The focus is on developing objects that sit between sculpture and function – extending the studio’s interest in material and atmosphere into a more intimate, sensory scale.
Rasengani Atelier operates as a studio working across sculpture, design, and spatial practice.
Rather than separating disciplines, the focus is on developing a cohesive spatial language – one that can move between objects, interiors, and larger environments.
The work is ultimately concerned with how material and form shape experience, whether at the scale of a single piece or an entire space.
back to roots, do you feel that your upbringing plays a part in your work and practice?
Very much so. My practice is shaped by observation – of light, landscape, and built environments.
Working in Johannesburg has brought a new level of clarity to that relationship. There’s a growing dialogue between the work and its context – how materials respond to light here, how space is experienced locally.
Place isn’t always explicit, but it informs the rhythm, tone, and spatial decisions within the work.
now we’re looking ahead. What’s the dream, Ndivhuho? what are you manifesting for your future self and for Rasengani Atelier?
The long-term vision is to develop Rasengani Atelier into a studio that produces sculptural environments across scales – from collectible works to fully realised spatial installations.
There is a strong interest in collaborating with hospitality and retail environments – creating spaces that centre stillness, atmosphere, and sensory experience.
The intention is to build a practice that moves fluidly between continents, developing site-specific works that respond to architecture, light, and context.
last one (a serious one): sweet or savoury — and what’s your go-to snack?
