We work with over 79 artisans and producers from Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, South Africa, and New Zealand.
Wood Artisans
Meet The Wood Carvers.
Gabriel is 47 years old and has six children. He learnt the craft through his father. He has been carving for almost 20 years now. He aspires to teach the craft one day. The challenges that he is facing now are lack of customers.
Gabriel Musumbi
Emma Mutisya
Emma is 31 years old and has one child. She has been carving for two years and particularly enjoys making bowls. She says that her favourite thing to do is go to church.
Patrick is 58 years old and has 6 children. He was introduced to wood carving by a friend and has been carving for 30 years now. He loves the freedom and creativity that comes from this profession. Wood carving has enabled him to provide for his family for years although Covid 19 was particularly challenging given that he could not sell what he makes. The other challenge that he is facing at the moment is market exposure.
Patrick Kimundiu
Weavers
Wendo Wa Aka is a self help group that started 15 years ago. Weaving is an a proffesion that a lot of women have taken up to provide for their families.
In Kenya, women self-help groups are very common. They are established to improve the economic wellbeing of the women and they also provide a sense of belonging and safety for those experiencing domestic violence.
The challenges they are facing at the moment are materials and the time that it takes to dry and get the fibres from the sisal plant. The process is very labour intensive.
With your continued support, we will not only be able to support these artisans financially but also provide them with the right equipment to make the process less labour-intensive so that the they can focus on the craft.
Kasaini Weavers
Kasaini Weavers is a women’s group based in the Kamba region in Kenya. The group is made up of married and widowed women. Currently, there are 30 members but the numbers change every now and then. The money they earn from weaving and selling baskets goes to daily upkeep and school fees for their children.
Ceramics Artisan - Vaughan Norman
Vaughan Norman is currently producing functional stoneware pottery and sculptures using a reduction-fired gas kiln. Vaughan identifies with the oriental stoneware tradition, drawing inspiration from the work of Shoji Hamada, Bernard Leach, and their mentor from South Africa, Andrew Walford.
Vaughan began their pottery journey in South Africa in the early 1980s, greatly supported and encouraged by Andrew Walford. After a 15-year hiatus, Vaughan has recently returned to pottery, finding deep satisfaction in the process despite the challenges of relearning old skills.
For Vaughan, working with clay offers a tactile, practical, and creative alternative to the thought and conversation-oriented nature of day-to-day life. The unpredictable textures of reduction firing captivate Vaughan, who strives to make the natural colors and textures of the clays a prominent feature in each piece. Each creation is a testament to the manipulation of earth, fire, water, and air—a tradition that dates back to our earliest ancestors.
Vaughan’s approach to pottery is dynamic, beginning with an intention to replicate a previous piece, only for it to evolve into something unique. This process allows the craft to become truly creative, with the pottery sometimes shaping the potter.
