Lupane Women’s Centre Looking like they have been swirled with delicate watercolours, this gorgeous range of traditionally handcrafted baskets is the result of a partnership between the Lupane Women’s Centre in Zimbabwe and the Kingston University Design School in the UK, bringing a contemporary edge to traditional African design. The initiative entitled, Kingston Project Africa was created to facilitate the exchange and support of knowledge between both regions, and led by Professor Catherine McDermott utilises the expertise of academics, industry practitioners and curators across various projects and collaborations. This particular project saw the head of the design school, Simon Maidment sharing his expertise, running a series of workshops in Zimbabwe over a period of two-weeks. The partnership saw the exploration of ways to make, transport and market the baskets, which are mainly sold to tourists visiting the country, but have also made their way into international retailers stores such as the Conran shop and Anthropologie. In recognition of the skill and creativity in production the baskets have been exhibited at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, as well as the London Design Festival and Design Indaba in Cape Town. Drawn from the disciplines of graphic to product design; students from the business and design schools of the University were also involved in the project, challenged to come up with effective solutions to help solve the problems faced by the women in producing and marketing the products. The ideas generated by the students were presented to the women producing the baskets during the workshops. Located in Matabeleland a region lying two-hours outside Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second city, the Lupane Women’s Centre is a not-for-profit rural-based membership organisation that was founded in 1997 ‘for women by women’ in a bid to help members generate sustainable incomes through the provision of a range of skills, business and leadership training and support. The Lupane Women’s Centre currently has a 3200 strong membership, of which 2667 are women; the Centre also assists those who are marginalised, regardless of gender. In addition to basketry members are also involved in programmes including, gardening, candle and soap making, and bee keeping. A restaurant and conference facility for public hire helps generate an income to keep the Centre running. As a boost to the Centre the success of this project has meant continued funding from the British Council.
Tavie Co-operative
The beauty of this woven dish radiates from its core, which features a beautifully engraved silver disc at the centre, which is said to symbolise the sun and is characteristic of Tuareg pattens. Framed with an indigo halo, the addition of the disc adds a contemporary edge, elevating the humble woven basket to a stunning decorative object, that would work well hung on the wall or placed on a plate stand.
Part of a range of handcrafted baskets, dishes and bowls made using the leaves of the dried Doum Palm Leaf, the Rayon De Soleil basket was handcrafted by members of the Tavie Co-operative of Northern Niger, a co-operative that supports Tuareg women. The Tuareg are one of the few remaining tribes that still lead a nomadic life, fighting to preserve a culture that is facing great change to their traditional way of life. The designs of the Tuareg are distinctive one only has to called to mind the silver crosses and discs often seen on jewellery, featuring the instantly recognisable patterns. Each product is given a mark of authenticity in the firm of a silver metal tube which is incorporated into the product and bears a unique number. Entering the number on the Tavie website allows the customer to find out more about the village and origin of their purchase. ...simply beautiful Additional information:
Baskets priced at: USD$68 -USD$98
For further information about Tavie Co-operative visit: www.tavie.nl
To purchase visit: www.mbare.com
Bolgatanga Baskets Last week the EU announced the potential banning of plastic bags as it outlined proposals to reduce the number of plastic bags used in Europe each year, after a public consultation revealed that more than four billion were thrown away each year. After massive campaign a few years ago lately I have noticed fewer people using the jute and other alternative shopping bags whilst doing their shopping, myself included and so was not surprised to find out that after four years of decline the use of carrier bags in the UK actually rose by 5% in 2010. From clogging up waterways to causing untold environmental damage plastics bags have been on the global agenda for a while, and according to a report on the BBC website Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Bangladesh and China have already banned very thin plastic bags; Tanzania has banned ultra thin plastic bags; whilst Rwanda and Somalia have banned plastic bags altogether. Shopping still needs to be carried away though, and calls for something sturdy and durable, a factor which for a while saw woven baskets, and branded jute and cotton bags become very popular in the UK. I just love the rounded shape of the handcrafted Bolgatanga woven baskets from Ghana; they have a multitude of uses aside from shopping including doubling up as fruit baskets if you have a smaller size, carrying some of the washing if you have larger ones, storing toys, or taking to the beach. Lightweight and usually available in a vibrant array of colours, the baskets take their name from the Bolgatanga region in Ghana and were originally created without handles, used as storage containers, before being adapted to carry items to and from the market. Bolgatanga is said to be the crafts centre of Northern Ghana with the largest producers of straw goods in the country. Bolgatanga baskets are made using elephant grass, a straw also known as 'Veta Vera' as well as palm and reed and can take up to three days to prepare. The Bolgatanga Basket Weavers Co-operative Club established in 1995, is one of the main producers in Ghana with nearly 1000 weavers most of whom are women. The baskets have become quite popular across the globe as practical yet stylish alternatives to plastic bags, so if not visiting Ghana in person you can always find several places to purchase them both on and offline. Additional information sourced from:
www.africanbaskets.biz
www.bbc.co.uk
Additional details:
Prices vary: £17-£34/ USD$15-USD$42 / AUD$15-AUD$38
For further information about the Bolgatanga Basket Weavers Club visit: http://bbwcc.orgTo purchase Bolgatanga baskets visit:www.akomaskincare.co.uk
www.basketbasket.co.uk
www.basketsfromafrica.com
www.bashiri.com.au
Stephen Burks Having grown up surrounded by basketry and woven grass products I do feel a deep connection to the tradition; marveling at the patterns and the way the long grass stalks can be transformed into beautiful functional products. So immediately fell in love with the woven light fittings from New York-based industrial designer Stephen Burks. So stunning, so contemporary; I just love the colours and the ingenious designs that celebrate the basket weaving traditions seen across the continent and shows that far from being confined to the past, basketry is continuing to evolve into a contemporary artform. Produced in collaboration with Senegalese basket weavers based in New York and Dakar, the handmade pendants were made with materials including sweet grass and formed part of Stephen Burks first solo exhibition entitled 'Man Made', which was presented in 2011 at The Studio Museum in Harlem and saw the basket weaving techniques also applied to lamps, tables and chairs. The exhibition also featured collaborations with artisans in South Africa, Peru and India. Committed to sustainable design Stephen works to connect culture and traditional craft techniques with contemporary functionality, and creates objects that are designed for the user to take pleasure in, and gain an appreciation of what is made by hand. Stephen established his studio; ReadyMade Projects in 1997 exploring innovative ways to reduce the divide between the developed world's manufactured luxury and the heritage in handmade crafts of the developing world. This blend of cultures and styles has seen Stephen design and produce furniture, retail interiors, packaging, home accessories and consumer products for some of the world's leading brands. The Studio Museum in Harlem was established in 1968, with the main focus of presenting the work of artists of African descent, whether they are based locally in New York, nationally or globally.
...innovation and tradition
Additional information sourced from:www.yatzer.com
www.madblog.org
www.dwell.com
Additional details:
For further information about Stephen Burks and the Man Made Project visit: http://readymadeprojects.com
Gahaya Links Following on from my previous posting about the Zimbabwean Basket Weavers, I have become increasingly fascinated by the defining characteristics and regional differences in patterns, forms and traditional uses and thought it would be nice to dedicate a separate posting for each of the various country styles I come across. [Image credits: top, Fairwinds Trading; bottom, Gahaya Links] In Rwanda the traditional art of basketry has been used as a vehicle to build hope, bringing together communities once divided by the Genocide of 1994. Recognising the potential towards fostering healing, Rwandan sisters, Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana founded Gahaya Links, a multi award-winning basket-weaving business. Bringing together about twenty women, the sisters taught them how to weave or how to enhance their weaving skills with new design techniques. Today, Gahaya Links manages a network of over 4,000 weavers across the country, organised into approximately 52 savings cooperatives and help provide much needed income and stability. Partnering with Fairwinds Trading an American not-for-profit organisation and retailers like Macy’s Department Store a project called ‘ Path to Peace’ was established to connect the Rwandan basket weavers to the global community, sharing their stories and selling their exquisite handicrafts. The designs incorporated are often a modern interpretation of traditional styles and reflect a jubilant celebration of peace and unity, with ‘ The Agaseke’ Rwanda’s oldest traditional basket renamed the 'Day Peace Basket' as a symbol of unity. [Image credit: The Agaseke Basket - Fairwinds Trading] The Agaseke is a pagoda shaped basket unique to Rwanda and included on the national seal. Normally given as a wedding gift, the zig-zag design tells the ancient story of friends walking together and visiting villages along the way. The baskets are made out of naturally dyed sisal which is then coil-sewn over bundled sweetgrass and are functional as well as being decorative.
Inspired… join in celebrating peace with these stunning baskets. Additional Details:
Prices on Macy’s website range from: US$35 -US$80For further information on Gahaya Links visit: www.gahayalinks.com
For further information on Fairwinds Trading visit: www.fairwindstrading.com
For more on the Path to Peace project and to purchase visit: www.macys.com
The Basket Case Exhibition I came across a photo-editorial on BBC about an exhibition called 'The Basket Case', currently being held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Harare. The National Gallery is beautiful space and a place I know well having spent many a time there perusing the latest exhibits and completing assignments. I am glad to see that it is still putting on inspiring exhibits. 'The Basket Case' exhibition is all about connecting the past and the present, traditional with contemporary and is based on a project by Zimbabwean born interior accessories designer, Heath Nash and the traditional basket weavers based in Binga and Northern Zimbabwe who are mainly women. This is a project about preserving skills that are normally handed down from generation and capturing a new audience of buyers and collectors. Basket weaving is an amazing skill found throughout many regions in Africa and I am always amazed by the diversity of intricate patterns formed, meaning no two are ever alike and how skillful hands weave simple strands of grass into strong, sturdy and functional objects that over time have stored food and even water. Zimbabwean baskets have always been popular, not only with visiting tourists but are sold in stores globally and also used in local homes in day-to-day life. This project has come at a time when a decline in tourists to the country has meant a decline in production, which in turn has meant a danger of patterns and skills not being passed on to the next generation. Heath Nash, now based in South Africa has brought his unique and quirky style, seen in the products below, to some of the designs resulting in a truly inspiring partnership. Visit Heath Nash's blog to read more about the project process. [Image credits: Heath Nash] I have had my Zimbabwean baskets hanging against my living-room wall for many years now and seeing this editorial has made me pause and reflect, scrutinising them and appreciating them even more. Hopefully the exhibition will get to travel globally and let more people appreciate the skill and beauty on display.
Additional Details:
To view BBC’S photo-editorial: www.bbc.co.uk
To read more about basket weavers workshop initiatives: www.thenewbasketworkshop.org.za To read more about Heath Nash’s products visit: www.heathnash.com Buy baskets from stockists such as: www.basketsfromafrica.com whose prices range from USD$16-USD$2000
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