'Kind Kid' Toys by Sanele Qwabe
Sanele Qwabe, a 27 year old artist based in Durban, has created his own line of Designer Toys called 'Kind Kid.' Inspired by childhood memories, Sanele uses these uniquely designed toys as a point of representation in an industry where black and brown voices have oftentimes been marginalised, and which can allow our inner-child to be kinder to ourselves.
We caught up with Sanele to find out about his journey in and to the industry:
“Hey my name is Sanele, originally from a small town called Richards Bay in KZN. I studied my honours degree in Information Design at the University of Pretoria School of the Arts, which shifted the way I looked at animation. I started to think more about telling stories through design and branding, and so I continued making short animated films from my perspective, with heavy influence from shows such as the ‘Proud Family’ which lead me to create my own show titled ‘Special One.'
My latest film ‘Blue’ is the one that made me start to think about making toys after I made plushies of the character. The film has been nominated in Festivals across the world such as Poland, Italy, South Africa, America & Portugal.
The idea of 'Kind Kid' is inspired by my childhood memories of myself and my family. To me, it serves as a reminder to always take care of the kind kid version of you because no matter what he/she will support your dreams. I make all the designs and manufacturing in my home studio and I hope when people see these pieces they see also see a piece of themselves and become inspired.”
