• Running banner
  • Blurred black and white photo of two men in suits walking past a corrugated metal background. Their indistinct features suggest motion and urgency.
  • Hands with painted nails use a clear hand sanitizer pump bottle on a white surface; a dark bottle stands in the background, evoking cleanliness.
  • Two people are jogging, captured mid-stride from the waist up. The focus is on their motion and athletic attire, evoking energy and vitality.
  • Coins floating in a mysterious, grey space
  • Dark volcanic hills under a cloudy sky, with a winding path cutting through. Sparse vegetation hints at a rugged, desolate landscape.
  • Running banner
  • Blurred black and white photo of two men in suits walking past a corrugated metal background. Their indistinct features suggest motion and urgency.
  • Hands with painted nails use a clear hand sanitizer pump bottle on a white surface; a dark bottle stands in the background, evoking cleanliness.
  • Two people are jogging, captured mid-stride from the waist up. The focus is on their motion and athletic attire, evoking energy and vitality.
  • Coins floating in a mysterious, grey space
  • Dark volcanic hills under a cloudy sky, with a winding path cutting through. Sparse vegetation hints at a rugged, desolate landscape.

0.1

Beheld is a creative and cultural practice working across exhibitions,
platforms, programs, and narratives. Rooted in the creative life of the African continent,
oriented toward the world, we work at the intersection of design, curation, communication,
and place, shaping the conditions for culture to be experienced, remembered and felt.

0.1 Beheld is a creative and cultural practice working across exhibitions, platforms, programs, and narratives. Rooted in the creative life of the African continent, oriented toward the world, we work at the intersection of design, curation, communication, and place, shaping the conditions for culture to be experienced, remembered and felt.

Beheld is a creative and cultural practice working across exhibitions,
platforms, programs, and narratives. Rooted in the creative life of the African continent,
oriented toward the world, we work at the intersection of design, curation, communication,
and place, shaping the conditions for culture to be experienced, remembered and felt.

0.2

Selected Work

2014-2025

Decorex & 100% Design Africa

2025

View project

  • Black patent leather shoes and wide-leg pants stand on a deep red carpet, conveying a sense of elegance and sophistication.
  • Two men in dress shirts stand against a striped background. One adjusts his tie, both look thoughtful and focused, conveying a professional tone.
  • A young man in a white shirt and tie sits on the floor, surrounded by scattered papers. He looks down at a document, appearing focused and pensive.
  • Young man in a formal outfit with a striped shirt, grey tie, and black coat. The tone is serious and professional, emphasizing subdued elegance.
  • Man in a white shirt reclines in a chair on a red carpet, talking on the phone. Scattered papers surround him, conveying stress or disarray.
  • A person in business attire lies amidst scattered papers and folders on a red carpet, holding a phone receiver. The scene conveys chaos and stress.
  • A man in a grey shirt sits in a dim office, gazing seriously at a computer screen. Blinds and office supplies create a focused and professional atmosphere.
  • Person in a dark shirton a phone call, seated at a desk with papers, exudes a thoughtful, focused demeanor. Background shows dark horizontal blinds.

Creative Direction

Africa's largest design and decor platform, reimagined. As joint Executive Creative Directors of Decorex Africa and 100% Design Africa, Beheld has spent two editions reshaping the show into something genuinely continental - introducing the first African Design Pavilions in its history, launching the Capitec handmadeAFRICA Design MRKT, and building a Future Talks programme that brought some of the world's most important design voices to an African stage. For the first time, the show named Designers of the Year from the continent itself: Reform Studio from Cairo, and Charles O Job from Nigeria. A small but significant marker of how far the frame of reference has shifted.

Decorex & 100% Design Africa

View project

  • Black patent leather shoes and wide-leg pants stand on a deep red carpet, conveying a sense of elegance and sophistication.
  • Two men in dress shirts stand against a striped background. One adjusts his tie, both look thoughtful and focused, conveying a professional tone.
  • A young man in a white shirt and tie sits on the floor, surrounded by scattered papers. He looks down at a document, appearing focused and pensive.
  • Young man in a formal outfit with a striped shirt, grey tie, and black coat. The tone is serious and professional, emphasizing subdued elegance.
  • Man in a white shirt reclines in a chair on a red carpet, talking on the phone. Scattered papers surround him, conveying stress or disarray.
  • A person in business attire lies amidst scattered papers and folders on a red carpet, holding a phone receiver. The scene conveys chaos and stress.
  • A man in a grey shirt sits in a dim office, gazing seriously at a computer screen. Blinds and office supplies create a focused and professional atmosphere.
  • Person in a dark shirton a phone call, seated at a desk with papers, exudes a thoughtful, focused demeanor. Background shows dark horizontal blinds.

Creative Direction

Africa's largest design and decor platform, reimagined. As joint Executive Creative Directors of Decorex Africa and 100% Design Africa, Beheld has spent two editions reshaping the show into something genuinely continental - introducing the first African Design Pavilions in its history, launching the Capitec handmadeAFRICA Design MRKT, and building a Future Talks programme that brought some of the world's most important design voices to an African stage. For the first time, the show named Designers of the Year from the continent itself: Reform Studio from Cairo, and Charles O Job from Nigeria. A small but significant marker of how far the frame of reference has shifted.

Decorex & 100% Design Africa

2025

  • Black patent leather shoes and wide-leg pants stand on a deep red carpet, conveying a sense of elegance and sophistication.
  • Two men in dress shirts stand against a striped background. One adjusts his tie, both look thoughtful and focused, conveying a professional tone.
  • A young man in a white shirt and tie sits on the floor, surrounded by scattered papers. He looks down at a document, appearing focused and pensive.
  • Young man in a formal outfit with a striped shirt, grey tie, and black coat. The tone is serious and professional, emphasizing subdued elegance.
  • Man in a white shirt reclines in a chair on a red carpet, talking on the phone. Scattered papers surround him, conveying stress or disarray.
  • A person in business attire lies amidst scattered papers and folders on a red carpet, holding a phone receiver. The scene conveys chaos and stress.
  • A man in a grey shirt sits in a dim office, gazing seriously at a computer screen. Blinds and office supplies create a focused and professional atmosphere.
  • Person in a dark shirton a phone call, seated at a desk with papers, exudes a thoughtful, focused demeanor. Background shows dark horizontal blinds.

Creative Direction

Africa's largest design and decor platform, reimagined. As joint Executive Creative Directors of Decorex Africa and 100% Design Africa, Beheld has spent two editions reshaping the show into something genuinely continental - introducing the first African Design Pavilions in its history, launching the Capitec handmadeAFRICA Design MRKT, and building a Future Talks programme that brought some of the world's most important design voices to an African stage. For the first time, the show named Designers of the Year from the continent itself: Reform Studio from Cairo, and Charles O Job from Nigeria. A small but significant marker of how far the frame of reference has shifted.

View project

Veld: Publication

2024

View project

  • Three people sit around a dimly lit table with drinks and cards, conveying a relaxed, intimate atmosphere. A boombox is visible in the background.
  • A group of people playing poker at a dimly lit bar table, with scattered cards and beers. The scene feels lively and social, focused on a man holding cards.
  • Cozy, dimly lit pub scene with a round wooden table, empty beer bottles, and glasses under a stained glass lamp. A deer head decorates the wall.
  • A person's hand on a pool table, fingers spread over a purple billiard ball. Several other colorful balls are scattered on the green felt surface.
  • Two people with their backs turned, one in a white tank top and the other in a gray shirt, embrace in a dim bar with a neon "BAR" sign.
  • A young man in a white tank top sits pensively in dim light. A mounted deer head and an ornate lamp create a somber, reflective atmosphere.
  • A hand in a leather jacket is inserting a cassette into a vintage boombox on a wooden shelf, evoking nostalgia and retro vibes.

Publication

A five-year project to document the life's work of South Africa's most innovative landscape architect, most of it previously unpublished and unseen. Written by Garreth van Niekerk with photography by Elsa Young and paintings by Heidi Fourie, Veld argues for an entirely African approach to landscape design: local plants, local problems, local genius. Published by Struik Nature / Penguin Random House and featured in bookstores internationally.

Veld: Publication

View project

  • Three people sit around a dimly lit table with drinks and cards, conveying a relaxed, intimate atmosphere. A boombox is visible in the background.
  • A group of people playing poker at a dimly lit bar table, with scattered cards and beers. The scene feels lively and social, focused on a man holding cards.
  • Cozy, dimly lit pub scene with a round wooden table, empty beer bottles, and glasses under a stained glass lamp. A deer head decorates the wall.
  • A person's hand on a pool table, fingers spread over a purple billiard ball. Several other colorful balls are scattered on the green felt surface.
  • Two people with their backs turned, one in a white tank top and the other in a gray shirt, embrace in a dim bar with a neon "BAR" sign.
  • A young man in a white tank top sits pensively in dim light. A mounted deer head and an ornate lamp create a somber, reflective atmosphere.
  • A hand in a leather jacket is inserting a cassette into a vintage boombox on a wooden shelf, evoking nostalgia and retro vibes.

Publication

A five-year project to document the life's work of South Africa's most innovative landscape architect, most of it previously unpublished and unseen. Written by Garreth van Niekerk with photography by Elsa Young and paintings by Heidi Fourie, Veld argues for an entirely African approach to landscape design: local plants, local problems, local genius. Published by Struik Nature / Penguin Random House and featured in bookstores internationally.

Veld: Publication

2024

  • Three people sit around a dimly lit table with drinks and cards, conveying a relaxed, intimate atmosphere. A boombox is visible in the background.
  • A group of people playing poker at a dimly lit bar table, with scattered cards and beers. The scene feels lively and social, focused on a man holding cards.
  • Cozy, dimly lit pub scene with a round wooden table, empty beer bottles, and glasses under a stained glass lamp. A deer head decorates the wall.
  • A person's hand on a pool table, fingers spread over a purple billiard ball. Several other colorful balls are scattered on the green felt surface.
  • Two people with their backs turned, one in a white tank top and the other in a gray shirt, embrace in a dim bar with a neon "BAR" sign.
  • A young man in a white tank top sits pensively in dim light. A mounted deer head and an ornate lamp create a somber, reflective atmosphere.
  • A hand in a leather jacket is inserting a cassette into a vintage boombox on a wooden shelf, evoking nostalgia and retro vibes.

Publication

A five-year project to document the life's work of South Africa's most innovative landscape architect, most of it previously unpublished and unseen. Written by Garreth van Niekerk with photography by Elsa Young and paintings by Heidi Fourie, Veld argues for an entirely African approach to landscape design: local plants, local problems, local genius. Published by Struik Nature / Penguin Random House and featured in bookstores internationally.

View project

Roger Ballen Centre

2026

View project

  • A person runs inside a dimly lit, textured cave with sandy ground and large rock formations. The atmosphere is adventurous and mysterious.
  • Three people running in motion blur; one wears an orange jacket, others in blue. They convey speed and focus against a blurred forest background.
  • A person in a gray jacket zips up, standing confidently in a dense forest. Tall trees surround them, creating a serene and adventurous mood.
  • A person stands confidently on moss-covered rocks in a dimly lit cave, touching the rocky ceiling, conveying a sense of adventure and exploration.
  • Three people jog energetically through a lush, green forest. One wears orange, another in a gray jacket, and the last in black, conveying determination and focus.
  • Rocky cliffside covered in moss and surrounded by sparse trees, with a textured stone formation in the foreground under overcast skies. Earthy tones.
  • Blurred motion image of a person running in a forest, wearing a brown shirt and shorts. The dynamic scene conveys energy and speed.
  • A person in motion, wearing a brown shirt and white shorts, jogs through a blurred forest path. The scene conveys speed and energy.

Institution Building

For the Roger Ballen Centre for Photography, we helped bring a brand-new cultural institution to life from the ground up. Our role included consulting on the centre’s positioning, brand identity, design approach, programming strategy and funding support, ensuring that the space had both a strong public voice and a clear cultural purpose. This work culminated in Fashion – The Image: African Photography in Focus, the centre’s first major public-facing exhibition programme, which activated the space through school visits, public talks, workshops, university engagements and opening events — helping establish the centre as a dynamic new platform for photography, education and contemporary African visual culture.

Roger Ballen Centre

View project

  • A person runs inside a dimly lit, textured cave with sandy ground and large rock formations. The atmosphere is adventurous and mysterious.
  • Three people running in motion blur; one wears an orange jacket, others in blue. They convey speed and focus against a blurred forest background.
  • A person in a gray jacket zips up, standing confidently in a dense forest. Tall trees surround them, creating a serene and adventurous mood.
  • A person stands confidently on moss-covered rocks in a dimly lit cave, touching the rocky ceiling, conveying a sense of adventure and exploration.
  • Three people jog energetically through a lush, green forest. One wears orange, another in a gray jacket, and the last in black, conveying determination and focus.
  • Rocky cliffside covered in moss and surrounded by sparse trees, with a textured stone formation in the foreground under overcast skies. Earthy tones.
  • Blurred motion image of a person running in a forest, wearing a brown shirt and shorts. The dynamic scene conveys energy and speed.
  • A person in motion, wearing a brown shirt and white shorts, jogs through a blurred forest path. The scene conveys speed and energy.

Institution Building

For the Roger Ballen Centre for Photography, we helped bring a brand-new cultural institution to life from the ground up. Our role included consulting on the centre’s positioning, brand identity, design approach, programming strategy and funding support, ensuring that the space had both a strong public voice and a clear cultural purpose. This work culminated in Fashion – The Image: African Photography in Focus, the centre’s first major public-facing exhibition programme, which activated the space through school visits, public talks, workshops, university engagements and opening events — helping establish the centre as a dynamic new platform for photography, education and contemporary African visual culture.

Roger Ballen Centre

2026

  • A person runs inside a dimly lit, textured cave with sandy ground and large rock formations. The atmosphere is adventurous and mysterious.
  • Three people running in motion blur; one wears an orange jacket, others in blue. They convey speed and focus against a blurred forest background.
  • A person in a gray jacket zips up, standing confidently in a dense forest. Tall trees surround them, creating a serene and adventurous mood.
  • A person stands confidently on moss-covered rocks in a dimly lit cave, touching the rocky ceiling, conveying a sense of adventure and exploration.
  • Three people jog energetically through a lush, green forest. One wears orange, another in a gray jacket, and the last in black, conveying determination and focus.
  • Rocky cliffside covered in moss and surrounded by sparse trees, with a textured stone formation in the foreground under overcast skies. Earthy tones.
  • Blurred motion image of a person running in a forest, wearing a brown shirt and shorts. The dynamic scene conveys energy and speed.
  • A person in motion, wearing a brown shirt and white shorts, jogs through a blurred forest path. The scene conveys speed and energy.

Institution Building

For the Roger Ballen Centre for Photography, we helped bring a brand-new cultural institution to life from the ground up. Our role included consulting on the centre’s positioning, brand identity, design approach, programming strategy and funding support, ensuring that the space had both a strong public voice and a clear cultural purpose. This work culminated in Fashion – The Image: African Photography in Focus, the centre’s first major public-facing exhibition programme, which activated the space through school visits, public talks, workshops, university engagements and opening events — helping establish the centre as a dynamic new platform for photography, education and contemporary African visual culture.

View project

0.3

Notes

View All

8/21/26

Alan Hayward gets personal with Wanted

Beheld co-founder Alan Hayward speaks to Wanted about creative life, personal style and the things that keep him inspired. In the latest edition of Wanted’s Gifted series, Alan shares a more personal look at the influences behind his creative practice, from espresso and Salone del Mobile to bold clothing, unexpected colour and objects that make you pause. He also reflects on his work across African design, his love of novelty and the importance of building a creative life with his best friend and Beheld co-founder, Garreth van Niekerk. Read the full interview on Wanted: https://www.wantedonline.co.za/culture/2025-06-23-gifted-alan-hayward/

Lrnce, Morroco, Garreth van Niekerk. Beheld Africa

5/1/26

Garreth van Niekerk joins SABC News to discuss LRNCE and the future of African design

Beheld co-founder Garreth van Niekerk joined SABC News to discuss LRNCE, Moroccan craft and the future of design in Africa. Following LRNCE being named Decorex Africa’s 2026 Designer of the Year, Garreth spoke about the Marrakech-based studio’s ability to bring Morocco’s craft traditions into a distinctive contemporary design language. He also reflected on what LRNCE’s success tells us about sustainability and the future of African design, where local materials, artisan knowledge and cultural specificity are becoming sources of global strength. Watch the full interview on SABC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce6BMaT3cdo

Graphic showcase of the letters 'Aa'

1/24/26

DECOREX Africa 2026 The Soft Life

The Soft Life is Decorex Africa’s 2026 theme: a design-led response to burnout, speed and overproduction, placing wellbeing, ease, joy and human connection at the centre of how we live. Conceived by Beheld, the theme invites designers, brands and audiences to imagine interiors not just as beautiful spaces, but as softer systems of care, comfort and everyday restoration.

A diverse group of six people are sitting around a table in a well-lit conference room. They are engaged in a discussion, with laptops and papers on the table.

12/2/25

Beheld Places South African Craft on the Milan Design Stage

In April 2026, Beheld founders Alan Hayward and Garreth van Niekerk curated a South African craft presentation for SaloneSatellite in Milan, forming part of the international Skilled Craftsmanship + Innovation exhibition. The presentation brought together leading South African makers across ceramics, beadwork, weaving, textiles and object design, positioning local craft as a contemporary, intelligent and globally relevant design language.

8/21/26

Alan Hayward gets personal with Wanted

Beheld co-founder Alan Hayward speaks to Wanted about creative life, personal style and the things that keep him inspired. In the latest edition of Wanted’s Gifted series, Alan shares a more personal look at the influences behind his creative practice, from espresso and Salone del Mobile to bold clothing, unexpected colour and objects that make you pause. He also reflects on his work across African design, his love of novelty and the importance of building a creative life with his best friend and Beheld co-founder, Garreth van Niekerk. Read the full interview on Wanted: https://www.wantedonline.co.za/culture/2025-06-23-gifted-alan-hayward/

Lrnce, Morroco, Garreth van Niekerk. Beheld Africa

5/1/26

Garreth van Niekerk joins SABC News to discuss LRNCE and the future of African design

Beheld co-founder Garreth van Niekerk joined SABC News to discuss LRNCE, Moroccan craft and the future of design in Africa. Following LRNCE being named Decorex Africa’s 2026 Designer of the Year, Garreth spoke about the Marrakech-based studio’s ability to bring Morocco’s craft traditions into a distinctive contemporary design language. He also reflected on what LRNCE’s success tells us about sustainability and the future of African design, where local materials, artisan knowledge and cultural specificity are becoming sources of global strength. Watch the full interview on SABC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce6BMaT3cdo

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Trusted By

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Trusted By

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Trusted By