30 September 2022, Johannesburg –Low-cost carrier FlySafair is decorating the cabins of five aircraft with original artworks commissioned from local artists.
“As the leading domestic airline in the country we want to be sure that we do our part in celebrating our people and our heritage”, says Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair.
The airline selected five local artists and commissioned them to develop artworks to decorate the aircraft interiors with imagery that celebrates South Africa and its people.
Passengers can already spot Michael Chandler and Ndumiso Nyoni’s artworks in the airline’s aircraft, while Zinhle Zulu, Joh Del and Yiull Damaso’s pieces are gradually being installed as the maintenance schedules allow.
“We approached the five different artists with the same brief: get people excited about exploring their own backyard again. And we’re delighted to say that each artist exceeded our expectations in their own way.”
This was the first time any of the artists had been asked to create a piece for the inside of an aircraft. Zinhle Zulu relished the unusual challenge and saw it as an opportunity to tackle a new canvas. She sought to celebrate South Africa’s heritage and incorporated different cultural symbols as well as parts of the Coat of Arms.
Michael Chandler put pen to paper and doodled his way across South Africa, drawing iconic landscapes like Table Mountain, Johannesburg’s cityscape and even a Karoo windpump. Ndumiso Nyoni drew inspiration from a FlySafair flight to Durban where he noticed the diverse group of passengers all moving in the same direction. He chose to recreate this in his design that includes a mix of symbols and signifiers to highlight the different cultures you’ll find in South Africa.
Joh Del’s piece is a celebration of travel starting again. He uses indigenous flowers in a composition that looks as though they have been thrown into the air in jubilation. Yiull Damaso wanted to capture the sense of calm he feels on a flight and chose to illustrate the serene blue crane using his iron and copper rust technique.
“It has been wonderful to see how each artist approached the brief and added their unique creativity to their piece,” says Gordon. “We hope our passengers love the cabins and their new look as much as we do.”