South Africa is one of the African countries taking an aggressive role in supporting its arts and crafts. The Department of Trade and Industry brings together
each year selected craftspeople from South Africa’s provinces (Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal, Western Cape, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape)
for the Handmade Collection. It was a short trade show but in every way a great opportunity to see the variety of products South Africa has to offer under one roof, to talk to the Provincial agents, the crafts people themselves and to interact with other buyers.
The first day was organized around visiting the various provinces and getting an overall picture of what was being offered. Needless to day, corralling buyers with diverse interest was not easy but a genuine effort was made to have us look and come back later to follow up with specific individuals. Being confronted with such a wealth of possibility was challenging in terms of what to purchase and when. Though I had been to South Africa before, this is the first time product and location became a significant part of my knowledge base. The Department of Trade and Industry had categorized exporters into different levels of experience: Established exporter, exporting for three years and more, Emerging exporter, exporting between one and three
years, and domestic supplier, supplying the local market for a minimum of a year. These differences were clear as we moved from person to person.
If you think South African craft, you almost automatically go to bead work and there was a wealth of that used in so many different ways. I thought the beaded wine bags were outstanding and an excellent gift for anyone looking for that hard to please “man”. Jewelry here spans the gauntlet of “seen it all thousand times” to totally new takes such as recycling old South African stamps as one young South African woman had done. She makes them into rings, pendants and bracelets. I was also pleased to see young South Africans making high end silver jewelry and for the men there were beautiful cuff links.
For my customers who have been buying dishes from the Potter’s Workshop, I added a line of dishware from Limpopo. I love the red in the earthfire collection. There were many ceramic artists there and choices had to be made between the more colorful contemporary pieces or the more traditional monochrome pieces. This time I chose the contemporary with the intention of ordering some of the other pieces. Kwazulu Natal is famous for its telephone wire baskets and I could not resist buying the biggest and best one for the shop. Lately, there have been several customers looking for items for babies and so when I came across booties made from felt, I couldn’t resist and began to imagine a “Grandma’s corner” just for kids. This was further reinforced when I met a doll maker who makes the beautiful multi-hued dolls which reflects the diversity of the South African population. Teapots anyone? I have occasionally gotten in teapots but they have been a rare find. This time there were many choices and so if you’re a teapot collector, they’re in. One of the priority items on my list, was Christmas ornaments for the annual Artists ornament show which will be the weekend of Nov. 26-27. I found unique angels, beaded and seeded (one woman used seeds to make standing angles which are adorable).
It was a long trip for a short period of time and I would have loved to stay longer and view some of the beautiful scenery and historic gems in South Africa. However, that leaves room for another, longer trip sometime in the future.
There were many
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Once again “Peace Corps Baba” has shared the treasures of Mali with us. The July16-17 event was very successful and had a party like atmosphere which is often the case with Oumar. I would like to thank all of you who took the time to come and be a part of this very special jewelry show and sale.
Starting the Business
I have known Oumar for more than 10 years now and I am constantly impressed by his dedication to African arts and crafts, his generosity and warmth, his creativity, his business acumen and his energy and strength (the latter is a reference to the very heavy suitcases full of jewelry that must weight at least 200 lbs.) I met him at one of his Malian associates home in D.C. where he was doing a sale. I was overwhelmed than by the variety of jewelry he had as well as his personality and knowledge. We began to craft a relationship which has deepened over the years and like many of his friends, we have become family.
We have talked business and travel over the years, but this time I wanted to know more about his business and how he achieved the success he has.
He started his business in 1983 after finishing school and returning home. His grandfather had been a trader in beads in Dogon country and it was quite natural for him to follow in his footsteps. He worked with his uncle also for a time in the same field and was challenged to start his own business which he did in 1989, a small step in the direction of creating Farafinga-Tigne, (African Reality). In March of 2000, he took a big step and had his Grand Opening with government dignitaries and more than 1000 people from the surrounding areas of Mopti, Segu and Bandiagara (Dogon country). In 2001, he got his big break after having been chosen as one of three people to go to Paris for a trade show. He was given an order of 4,000 necklaces by Jacqueline Rouzon. Though this meant a lot to Oumar, it also meant a great deal to the artisans whom he employed to help make the necklaces. This was just one of the orders that would enable them to send their children to school, purchase land, prepare for Ramadan, or buy a donkey. In 2005, he secured a large order for mudcloth bags with Hallmark, 120,000 mudcloth bags were ordered and delivered. There have been other achievements but according to Oumar, the most important thing to him is representing the culture of Africa. This is clear as he sells his jewelry in whatever venue and provides details of its use in traditional culture. This year, he was invited along with three other Malians to participate in the 50th anniversary celebration of the Peace Corps as part of the folk life festival.
Keys to Success
How do you get from small time bead seller to an internationally known Ambassador of culture? I asked him this and his answer was that you must be good with everyone and tell the truth, not go for a lot of profit by misrepresentation. “Do like the Peace Corps” he said, “go slowly and ask someone who knows more than you. No one can be right all the time.” This approach has created a level of trust with artists he works with in Mali who know that he will follow through on his contracts.
An outgrowth of his work with beads has been the development of a bead museum in Serer (17 kms outside of Mopti). He credits Hilary Whitaker, formerly President of the Bead Society, for this. In 1991, he was invited for a conference in the U.S. to talk about Malian beads. People purchased all the beads he was wearing which to his dismay left him without a resource he had largely taken for granted. Hilary suggested that he begin his collection again but that he place it in a small museum. The museum has been operational for some time and in 2004, Oumar generously invited me to his home in Mopti and I was able to see the Museum ( as well as Dogon country which was incredible). The Museum was truly impressive and it was easy to see that this was a work of passion and love of culture. For him, it is still a work in progress and a grand opening is planned for 2012.
Moving On
Meanwhile, Oumar continues to Los Angeles and Portland and later in the year to Paris, Norway, Belgium and Milan making friends along the way and exposing the beauty of African culture.
Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Lorenzo Wilkins, a Howard University graduate, is a creative director of graphic design who has worked extensively in his field for 30+ years.
Mr. Wilkins heads a graphic design business that specializes in providing graphic communication solutions for a wide variety of clients. The primary focus of his business is identity, publication and marketing design.
Photography has always been a passion of his, along with his love of design. His approach to photography is purely for the art of it. Influenced by his background in design, his photography reflects his grasp of composition, light, shape, line and movement.
Other avenues of design Mr. Wilkins has begun exploring include a project he calls “artful seating.”" This body of work is a series of hand painted chair. chairs that he considers fun and functional art to be displayed as art and/or used for its primary purpose, seating. He has also produced a line of note cards that feature a variety of his photographic images. Zawadi is using his classic car photos as suggestions for Fathers’ Day Card. A selection of his photos has been features in a newly designed 2012 calendar titled “Doors and Stairs to Where” which will be available on Sat., June, 11.
To see samples of his graphic design work, go to his website at www.SD33.com. For a look at his photography portfoliois, go to www.LNZ3.com.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
YES, it’s been awhile. Winter has come and gone and spring is fleeting. Soon summer will be on the horizon. We feel energized and reinvigorated by the return of the sun.
New inventory refreshes the store. We’ve gotten boxes and mirrors from Brazil, Jewelry from Ambiti Moussa, the Tuareg jeweler from Mli who makes his way by “bush taxi” from the mountains in Niger to sell his jewelry in Senegal. It is an arduous and sometimes dangerous journey, not to mention expensive. He was held up in Burkina Faso where according to him, customs demanded a rediculous amount of taxes to get his jewelry through. Moussa is typical of the small, small scale entrepreneur in Africa who faces so many obstacles and yet somehow continues to produce and to survive. His new jewelry is beautiful.
From another corner of the world, the lightweight, airy, color rich clothing of Trinidadian, Robert Young is here. The colors and weight are perfect for a city built on a swamp. June is Caribbean month and we will feature his clothing throughout the month, but especially on the weekend of June 11. Robert has shirts for men and women and this time he has added a lightweight button down shirt with small panels on each side. Very nice.
This year we have also decided to celebrate Fathers in a bigger way. Mothers’ Day, quite rightly, gets a lot of attention. Given the current state of Fathers in our community, Fathers’ need to be supported, encouraged and appreciated. On June 11, 1-6 pm, Zawadi will feature the cards and photographs of Lorenzo Wilkins who has taken phenomenal photos of classic cars among other things in his travels. These cards call to mind some of the finest characteristics we want to see in hour fathers” classy, stylish and enduring through the years with a timeless love.
In July, Oumar Cisse will return with his wide array of traditional and contemporary jewelry and other items from Mali. (Watch out for your evite. Oumar is one of the success stories of a small entrepreneur who through hard work and determination has forged a reputation and an appreciative client base. Oumar was kind enough to take me to his home in Mopti where I saw the impact he had in employing many crafts makers. (He also arranged a trip to Dogon country which was as incredible as any place I have been.)
The final exclamation mark to the summer will be the 14th and U St Dog Days the first weekend in August. All the stores clear summer inventory and we recognize that most good things don’t last forever, but we can surely enjoy them while they do.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Though today is distinctively fall, bright sunshine, blue sky, a slight chill, my thoughts are with the happy holidays ahead. Yesterday, I created the invitation for the Artists holiday ornament show that kicks off the season for us. Looking at the photos taken at the last event brought back pleasant memories of the excitement in the store and the joy of finding just the right ornament or just the right gift for a special someone. It is always a pleasure to work with Karl Graham and the artists. Opening the creations the artists have made is an event I anticipate and from the response I have gotten, I think many of you feel the same way. Part of the joy of the holiday for me is pulling out the boxes of ornaments i have accumulated over the years. When the Graham Collection was at Belmont Arts on 12th St. N.E., I always purchased a few each year and along with a number of customers have something of a collection. Each year now I look to add one or more and I love the decision making process of this one or that one. I see the same happening with many of you and I am really looking forward to seeing what they have made this year and the response to them. Last year a number of the artists stopped by and customers had a chance to see who made a particular ornament. ( I will provide more information on the artists in a later segment.) Meanwhile, I have provided a few pictures from last year’s event and hope you enjoy them.
Soul Purpose associate, Iris E. Holliday, will also be here on the 28th of November. Soul purpose is a complete line of natural products evoking the fragrances , of the world’s most exotic and beautiful places. They condition, heat, protect, moisturize and are enriched with vitamins A,E&D, wild crafted shea butter, almond oil and organic aloe. Iris will have a range of products, samplers and holiday special offers on hand.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Annual Artists Ornament Show
It’s that joyful time of the year again and Zawadi invites you to see what wonderful ornaments our artists have made for your festivities. Each year, nationally known African American fine artists and doll makers bring their creative talents to making one of a kind ornaments. To make the occasion even more festive, Iris E. Holiday will showcase the perfect body products from Soul Purpose for the season. (Event will also continue on Sunday from 12-5 p.m). Here are a few photos, (Courtesy Leslie Toney of Studio Lafoncette Photography It’s that joyful time of the year again and Zawadi invites you to see what wonderful ornaments our artists have made for your festivities. Each year, nationally known African American fine artists and doll makers bring their creative talents to making one of a kind ornaments. To make the occasion even more festive, Iris E. Holiday will showcase the perfect body products from Soul Purpose for the season. (Event will also continue on Sunday from 12-5 p.m). See the blog for updates on the artists and event. http://zawadigallery.wordpress.com/) from last year’s event. Check back here for updates on the artists and event.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
African Art in the Garden
If it’s spring, I am looking out of my window, dreaming what my garden will be like this year. Of course, it never meets my dreams but that is because my dreams are immense and my budget is limited. However, each year, there is visible improvement.
I started my garden with just flowers but over time have added an array of African art pieces partly inspired by The Spirit of African Design and partly by the grounds of some of the museums and galleries I visited in Africa. Once you begin, the realm of possibility expands. The size of the garden makes a difference, and, of course, living in an urban area, many of us have small areas on just a patio garden. A larger garden requires bigger pieces which will not be lost. Alternatively, small pieces can be placed in a discreet fashion so as to magnify their effect.
Gardens interspersed with African art can have a spiritual or whimsical feel to them. The askim altar staffs from Nigeria make striking garden art, as do the metal lamps from Mali. Metal, of course, is an ideal element for the garden.
If it has not already rusted, the gradual aging lends it a naturalistic patina that goes well with the earthiness of a garden. There are no limits on what can be used. Imagination is a big plus when it comes to incorporating African art into gardens. Found pieces and broken pieces can all add to an overall interesting design. A metal mask can be affixed to a house wall or a fence, animals can emerge from a hedge area or hang from a tree. While metal is ideal, pots and wood are also possibilities. A large pot against an array of color deepens the color while adding contrast. An advantage of using pots and woods is that broken pieces can take on a whole new life. Recycling pots with broken parts can make it even more interesting. Many of our tall wooden sculptures that we have acquired over the years have lost a leg or an arm along their travels. Using them as garden pieces is a great way of keeping them out of a landfill and doing a small part to reuse and recycle.
The wood will eventually degenerate and one has to be concerned about termites. Still, they can be recycled and recycled again as they return to the earth. Broken ceramic bowls, too , can add color and texture. In short, a garden can be an outlet for your creativity and a great way of spending time outside.
Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Tags: African art in the garden, African gardens, Mali metal lamps, Shona sculpture, Spirit of African Design, urban gardens
Happy Spring and welcome to a new season at Zawadi. As most of us can attest, this was a harsh winter, physically and economically. We are happy to have it behind us and to turn to more energy, more light and color. My favorite colors are the oranges and reds, so they are definitely in the spring inventory. The light, lovely tie dye cottons that the Mauritanian women use in their traditional dress are perfect for this change of season. They are perfect to add color and lightness to a window or a door where you want the light to come in but also affords privacy. The cloth with a backing has also been adapted to make place mats and table runners.
The D.C. drive to encourage recyclable bags and baskets has been a motivation for us to expand our supply of green products. African women have always used grasses and sisal to create beautiful market baskets and it is interesting that the world has gone back to origins. We have already brought in sisal baskets from Madagascar that are brightly colored and can be used for multiple purposes in addition to going to market in style.
By mid April, we will have market baskets from Ghana, Burkina Faso and we are bringing back the once ubiquitous Kenyan sisal basket.Have fun and shop in style.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Tags: Afican shopping bags, burkina faso, durable totes, eco-friendly shopping bags, ghana, luxuy shopping bags, madagascar, market baskets, sisal basket, washington recyclable bags, Zawadi
My Beautiful Dakar
Standing in the long line on the second big snowstorm of the year (Feb. 8, 2010), I pick up a March copy of Elle Décor to past the time and still my impatience. I am pleasantly surprised to see on the Twelve Things I Can’t Do Without, a beautiful photo of Thelma Golden, the director of the Studio Museum in Harlem. I do not know her but I know of her and so I am excited to read what is important to her world. I am not disappointed because she brings in a world view and a diversity that one does not often see in a magazine like Elle Décor. She references the Nigerian architect, David Adjaye, who constructed an interesting condo for a couple and I am reminded that he is the one who was selected for the future African-American museum on the mall here.
She also mentions a Nigerian clothing designer, Duro Olowu who is also her husband. Most exciting for me is that she mentions my favorite African city, Dakar, Senegal. She writes, “It has this incredible energy, a mix of past and present. It’s a city that opens and reveals itself beautifully.” And I am suddenly longing to be there, to feel its vibrancy and color, the grace and elegance of the women and men, the flowing boubous, the greetings as friends and relatives meet on the street, its oceans with the waves slamming against the beach, the young people exercising in the evening, the sun rising over Goree Island, the proliferation of arts and artists, crafts and crafts people on the road, in the markets in little cul de sacs. Am I going on and on? Yes, because Dakar is indeed beautiful to me.
Dakar, like any city, opens itself slowly. I have been going there and searching out artists and craftspeople for the last ten years. Each time I go, there is something new, and now new areas of the city are becoming art centers. Ten years ago, my first stop was Rue Mohamed V, a vast row of shops selling African arts and crafts of all sorts. I made wonderful finds there including a beautiful Mauritanian carrying a rack that had been turned into a glass topped table. Unfortunately, Rue Mohamed V is now only a remnant of what it was. Several new areas along the Corniche (Almade and Point E) have become a hub for arts and crafts. One of my favorites is a bed and breakfast called Ambre which has attached a beautiful boutique with mostly contemporary crafts but has a section for antiques, especially old jewelry pieces.
Ambre Hotel in Dakar
It also show paintings by Senegalese artists. One of my regulars, Awa Seck has also moved to this area and opened a boutique called “Galerie Syseck.” She has a wonderful entrepreneurial spirit and is always trying something new, whether it is shopping bags from Madagascar or a new design on her mudcloth scarves ( both available here). In downtown Dakar, I visit Arte owned by Joelle Bussy who has taken her furniture pieces to Paris and New York. I am hoping to bring in some of her pieces in the future.
Furniture from Arte
It is impossible to close before talking about the artists there. Many are found in the Village des Artes. It doesn’t seem to be well known but is a great place to meet artists and buy art. It is a little outside the city, next to the big football stadium. It is as its name suggests, a village of and artists supported by the Senegalese government. There are at least 20 artists there, some with national reputations such as Moussa Tine, Djibril Ndiaye, and Mamadou Wade. The grounds themselves are an art heaven as many of the artists have art in their small gardens.
There are other artists in the city whose acquaintance I have made and whose art I have purchased. I still remember meeting Souleymane Keita and purchasing a piece from him in 2000. He has continued to do international exhibits and I understand now is writing a biography.
Irene's own Keita
The next Art Biennale will be held in May of this year and I have already made my reservation. If there is a time for an art lover to be in Senegal, this is it. Artists from the entire continent will be there and you never kow who you will find standing beside you. In 2006, I was looking at a Nigerian Exhibit and asked about Bruce Onobrokpaya and was told he was behind me.
Bruce Onobrokpaya
On a day with the tree branches laden with snow, the wind whistling, and the only sound that of a snow plow futiley pushing snow before it as more comes down, I imagine getting off the plane in the early morning hours (5:40 a.m.), in hailing that wonderful scent and warmth of Dakar, making the drive along the Corniche, perhaps seeing vaguely the Mosque de la Divinite down the cliff, reaching the city, tired but excited and finally for breakfast, a sweet mango. Bliss.
The Lighthouse
Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Tags: Almade, Ambre, Art Biennale, Arte, Bruce Onobrokpaya, Dakar, David Adjaye, Djibril Ndiaye, Duro Olowu, Galerie Syseck, IFAN, Joelle Bussy, Mamadou Wade, Moussa Tine, Point E, Senegal, Souleymane Keita, Studio Museum Harlem, Thelma Golden, village des arts
K .White Presents
LOVE YOUR FABRICATION
Trunk Showcase
Location: Zawadi Gallery
Date: December 23, 2009 (Wednesday)
Time: 5pm – 8pm
Destination: 1524 U Street NW, Washington, DC
Admission: FREE + light refreshments
**All Merchandise will be available for purchase**
Proceeds from purchases will be donated to Sunrise Girls. Refer to website for more details.
Today is the time to be planting seeds.
Seeds of faith, love, forgiveness, gratitude, patience, excitement, friendship, dreams, mentoring ….
Our purpose in this world is so abundant. Many times through quieting the spirit we acquire healing, truth and the strength needed to tend to our desired harvest.
LOVE YOUR FABRICATION
www.kwhitecollection.com
Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Tags: events, K White Collection, Sunrise Girls
Recent Entries
- The South African Handmade Collection, Quick trip, big choices and tough decision making
- An Interview With Oumar Cisse, aka Peace Corps Baba
- Let’s Celebrate Fathers’ Days with the photography and cards of Lorenzo Wilkins
- WHERE HAVE WE BEEN? More Importantly, WHERE ARE WE GOING?
- Happy Holidays to You/Annual Artists Ornament Show/Nov. 27-28, 2010
- Annual Artists Ornament Show
- African Art in the Garden
- Eco-friendly Shopping Bags Here now!
- My Beautiful Dakar
- Wed, Dec 23rd: K. White Trunk Show
- Third Thursdays: 20% off Eileen Fisher!
Categories
- Uncategorized (20)
