Basil Jones & Adrian Kohler Enter a
feeling, not
a gallery.
Choose a mood and the room itself answers — the light cools or warms, the air changes pace, and only the works that carry that feeling step forward from the dark. Everything else recedes into shadow.
Basil Jones & Adrian Kohler
Origins and Early Collaborations The story of Basil Jones & Adrian Kohler is one of artistic reinvention, a journey that began in the vibrant, yet politically charged landscape of Cape Town, South Africa. Meeting at the Michaelis School of Fine Art in 1971, their initial paths diverged – Kohler with a background in sculpture and a nascent interest in puppetry inherited from his mother, and Jones initially skeptical, even dismissive, of
what he perceived as a lesser art form. However, fate, or perhaps artistic curiosity, intervened. The duo, alongside Jill Joubert and Jon Weinberg, founded the Handspring Puppet Company in 1981. Their early work focused on creating original plays for children, touring schools throughout Southern Africa. These formative years were crucial, not merely as a means of establishing a presence but as an immersion into the diverse cultural t…