Any visitor to Letsema’s offices will notice The Drum overlooking the threshold. Resonating with a deep, unique sound, it is a reminder that splendour can come in many forms and from many places. The story of The Drum attests to this.
Phenius Masuvhelele’s childhood was animated by a Mavhambangoma tree not far from his home. As the tree grew, so did his connection to it.
One night, a powerful storm came to Phenius’s village and the tree, which had come to represent a part of him, was struck by lightning and cleaved into two. Phenius approached the village Chief for permission to use the tree’s remains to make a carving, a permission he was granted.
For the next 14 months, Phenius shaped the enormous drum from a single piece of wood. His inspiration and dedication to the project reflects Letsema’s values and principles; creating enduring ideas, courage, excellence and being an agent of positive change.
Inspired by this story, Letsema made The Drum the subject of a design study, exploring how its striking visual form could be a medium through which to tell Letsema’s own story.
