"In my view, design is not merely an aesthetic exercise, but a deeply personal introspective pursuit intrinsic of truth. A brutal, yet profoundly ontological reckoning that is fundamentally grounded in material integrity. I am not drawn to noise. Neither are our pieces. In a world increasingly defined by spectacle, I endeavor to find what is essential and true.

Good Design. Above All.

Founded in the dawn of the year 2020, in Limpopo South Africa. Balance South Africa arose from a legal mind with a mediator's sensitivity. My unconventional training in Law aided in the crystallization of my divergent conception of design. I find great discomfort in the characterization of my role in my practice as a "creator". I fundamentally disagree with the notion that I have the innate capability to "create" anything. I believe I serve a unique but equally significant participatory role in the dialogue between materials, space and culture.

Who am I without the wood, steel and cotton?

Who am I without the seafarers, mill workers and timber merchants.

Who am I without Cristobal, Mies, Virgil and Issey?

I find the term design mediator to be the most conscientious recognition of the inherently relational nature of design. Good design is not authored. Good design is allowed. My primary duty as a designer is to curiously listen and observe, in order to facilitate the convergence of materials, space, form, function and intention. Notwithstanding my inherent inclination towards a somewhat brutalist and austere imagination, I nonetheless find that a critical reading of my design philosophy unveils a profoundly romantic sensibility at its core.

I believe design is fundamentally an archival anthology of the human story. Every silhouette, space and style provides us with retrospective insight into the dreams, difficulties and desires of the time. Design thus occupies a rare locus in the collective consciousness in which all persons are able to reflect and marvel upon the perplexing wonderment of our shared existence.

It is through this reckoning with the sanctity of design that we at Balance endeavor not for spectacle, but for resonance. In a room ringing with applause, our interest lies in the lingering echo. I believe recognition is a product of the world and will inevitably transform over time like all matter. In contrast, sincerity seems to emerge from a transcendent realm devoid of the worldly limitations of time and decay. Recognition will inevitably fade but the sincere devotion to your practice will remain. This is what moves me."

— Ntsako Nhlanhla Molala, Founder