San José Museum of Art

See what you think.

Creative Minds: Niki Haas

Fanciful creatures and shapes made up of bright and childish colors on white background. The creatures stand on two and four legs and are decorated with stripes and spots. Some of the creatures smile at you while others stick out their tongues.

Sculptures, from the Afreaks series, 2015; Glass beads, wire, wood, mixed fiber stuffing, and cast bronze.
Courtesy of R & Company, New York and The Haas Brothers, Los Angeles.

7–8 PM
Tickets are $12 ($6 for members), which includes Museum admission from 5–8:30 PM

Perhaps the most popular—and Instagrammed—objects in Beauty—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial are the “Afreaks,” a series of fantastical, beaded “creatures” co-created by Niki and Simon Haas, known as The Haas Brothers, and The Haas Sisters, a group of women from South African townships. These expressive forms embody the history of indigenous beading cultures as well as The Haas Brothers’ innovative design aesthetic. Niki Haas will discuss the brothers’ travels to South Africa and the partnership that has promoted the creative freedom of their collaborators.

Seating is limited and advance reservations are strongly recommended.

Make Reservations

Related Programming

Beauty—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial

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SJMA is the only West Coast venue for the latest global overview of design today, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s popular contemporary design triennial. The New York Times heralded the exhibition as “an exciting opportunity to meditate on the perennially confounding questions: What is beauty? And what is it good for?” With projects ranging from experimental prototypes and interactive games to fashion and architectural structures made feasible by material innovations and nanotechnology, “Beauty” will feature more than 200 works by 63 designers from around the globe.