Head On Design and Sharon Boonzaaier

Drawing on her inspiration from the African bush, Joanna Orr of Head On Design has added her own twist and flair to the traditional trophy heads, sending a playful yet clear message to trophy hunters that we can celebrate these majestic beasts differently.

A big lover of nature and the African bush, her wall mounted sculptures are made with our fragile earth in mind, by using sustainable or recycled materials such as bamboo or birch, and over the past 15 years she has donated to wildlife conservation to save our dwindling rhino, lion and elephant populations.

Rather than relying entirely on technology, Joanna prefers to approach each new design artistically; she pencil-sketches animals from various angles, then creates tiny paper models by hand before producing the final product. Pieces slot together to complete the 3 dimensional form. Animals include the kudu, elephant, lion and rhino.

Joanna describes her style as “… conscious modern Afrocentric. I rarely create anything without some kind of environmental message, if it were just about aesthetics, what I do would be meaningless to me.”

In 2017, Joanna started a collaboration with Cape Town artist, Sharon Boonzaier, to create a range of unique hand painted heads in themes that are typically embracing of Southern African trends. Each sculpture Sharon paints is unique, and not one piece is the same as the next.

Sharon’s style is bold and expressive with spontaneous fluidity, while exploring prints and patterns to complement each theme, bringing each animal head instantly to life. Her deep love of South Africa’s indigenous flora and fauna is clear.

Painted themes include ‘Savanna’ seen painted on the elephant head and inspired by our majestic African wildlife that roam the Savanna Plains, while giraffe observe quietly from a lofty height. And then there’s the playful ‘Fynbos’ kudu head, inspired by our unique proteas and birds found on the slopes of Table Mountain, one of 7 natural wonders of the world. Other themes celebrate exquisite birds found in Southern Africa such as the Carmine Bee-eater, the Lilac Breasted Roller, the colourful Kingfisher and the striking Knysna Loerie.

A descendant of one of the forefathers of the South African 20th Century fine art scene; the late Gregoire Boonzaier, Sharon has continued with the same passion for creative expression.

Inside each packaged sculpture, you'll find a story about the artist and the designer. The sculptures are all finished in gold leaf and signed by the artist. These exceptionally-made sculptural pieces are conveniently sold flat packed with clear instructions on how to assemble but can be shipped fully assembled. No glue is required, all you need is a nail in the wall.

Their beautiful artistic Head Sculptures are on display at The Artists Gallery in Cape Town.