MEET THE ARTIST
Ekim
Sculptor. Craftsman. Storyteller of the African landscape.
More than five decades of transforming nature, craftsmanship and African heritage into functional art.
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A Lifetime in the Making
A Lifetime in the Making
For more than five decades, Ekim has dedicated his life to the transformation of natural African materials into distinctive works of functional art.
Working from his studio in White River, South Africa, Ekim transforms materials shaped by nature into sculptural lighting, furniture, frames and architectural pieces.
Working with ethically sourced horn, bone, wood and metal, Ekim creates pieces that exist somewhere between sculpture and everyday life.
Each creation is handcrafted in South Africa, shaped by the natural character of the material and guided by the artist's instinct for form, balance and beauty.
There are no molds, no mass production and no two pieces that are exactly alike.
Every Bone Idol creation carries the character of its materials, the mark of the maker and the spirit of the African landscape from which it emerged.
A Life Shaped by the Lowveld
A Life Shaped by the Lowveld
Ekim grew up in the Lowveld, surrounded by bushveld, wildlife and the quiet beauty of the natural world.
From an early age, he collected stones, bones, horns and unusual objects that others might have overlooked.
Where most people saw discarded material, Ekim saw shape, texture and possibility.
This instinct—to notice what others pass by—became the foundation of his artistic practice.
His early experience in taxidermy deepened his understanding of anatomy, structure and natural form. Later, after spending time in Cape Town, he returned to the Lowveld because he missed the bush and the landscape that had always inspired him.
White River became home again.
It was here that Bone Idol began to take form.
The Honey House
Before it became Ekim’s studio, the building was quite literally a honey house — a place originally used for working with and storing honey.
Over time, it took on an entirely new life.
What was once a practical working space gradually became the creative heart of Bone Idol: a place of invention, experimentation and accumulated history.
Tools, materials, unfinished forms and completed works exist together in an environment shaped by decades of creative practice.
Nothing begins with a rigid formula.
Each piece develops through observation.
The curve of a horn may suggest the direction of a lamp.
The grain of timber may determine the balance of a table.
A natural imperfection may become the feature that gives the work its individuality.
At the Honey House, Ekim does not force materials into predetermined designs.
He listens to them.
Working with Africa’s Natural Resources
Working with Africa’s Natural Resources
Respect for Africa’s natural environment has always been central to Ekim’s work.
Bone Idol creates its artworks from discarded horn and bone and other responsibly sourced natural materials, giving new purpose to resources that might otherwise be overlooked or wasted.
Some raw materials are sourced through rural communities who collect and supply them as a means of supplementing their livelihoods. Others originate as by-products of sustainable game utilisation programmes, where the proceeds contribute towards the protection and conservation of wildlife and the environments that sustain it.
For Ekim, this relationship between creativity and conservation reflects a much broader philosophy:
“Man must work with the environment in such a way that he is continually replenishing what he and his forefathers have spent lifetimes destroying.”
Through a deep love and appreciation of Africa, Bone Idol seeks to encourage the responsible utilisation of renewable natural resources while transforming them into objects of beauty, function and lasting value.
Bone Idol is registered with the relevant Nature Conservation authorities and the State Veterinarian and can provide the permits required for the lawful export of applicable works.
At the heart of this philosophy remains a principle that has long defined the studio:
Bone Idol strives to keep Africa African.
The Making of a Bone Idol Work
The Making of a Bone Idol Work
Every Bone Idol piece begins with the material itself.
Ekim studies its curve, weight, colour, texture and natural movement.
The design develops gradually.
The work may be shaped, polished, joined, balanced and reworked many times before it is considered complete.
Some pieces take weeks.
Others evolve over months or even years.
Because every natural material is different, repetition is impossible.
The result is not a manufactured product.
It is a singular work shaped through patience, judgement and experience.
Functional Art
Functional Art
Ekim’s work occupies the space between sculpture and function.
A chandelier provides light, but it also transforms the room around it.
A mirror reflects an image, yet its frame becomes a sculptural presence.
A table serves a practical purpose while remaining an artwork in its own right.
This relationship between usefulness and artistic form defines Bone Idol.
The pieces are made to be lived with.
They belong in homes, lodges, hotels, galleries and private collections where they become part of the architecture and the lives of the people around them.
Recognition Beyond South Africa
Recognition Beyond South Africa
Over the years, Ekim’s work has attracted the attention of collectors, designers and publications in South Africa and abroad.
Bone Idol pieces have been featured in respected interior and lifestyle publications and have found homes in private collections around the world.
Despite this recognition, Ekim’s approach has remained deeply personal.
Every piece continues to be shaped by hand in White River.
Every commission begins with a conversation.
Every finished work remains unmistakably his own.
Made to Be Inherited
Made to Be Inherited
Bone Idol creations are not designed for a season.
They are created to become part of a story.
A sculpture in a home.
A light in a lodge.
A table around which generations gather.
A piece that is admired today and remembered tomorrow.
Every creation carries a legacy of craftsmanship, natural material and human imagination.
The hope is that a Bone Idol piece will not simply be owned.
It will be kept.
Discover the Collections
Discover the Collections
Explore the handcrafted collections of Bone Idol and experience the artistry that has made Ekim's work unlike anything else.
Commission a Custom Piece
Create something truly unique with Ekim. Every commissioned Bone Idol artwork is individually designed and handcrafted to complement its environment, ensuring that no two pieces are ever alike. From concept to completion, each creation is a collaboration between artist, client and the natural beauty of the materials themselves.
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