International Women's Day with L'Occitane
First observed in the early 1900s, Women's Day has grown into a day of appreciation; inspiring women, celebrating their achievements and acknowledging the challenges still to be overcome. The Day sees a diverse range of events being held across the globe and in some countries today has become a tradition taken as a holiday, which sees men taking the time to honour their Mother's, wives, girlfriends and colleagues with symbolic gifts. In celebration of the Day, French Skincare care company L'Occitaine has created a special limited edition bar of soap produced in Burkina Faso in partnership with a local factory that has been run by women since 2010. The Women's Day Soap has a high concentration of Shea butter in each bar to help moisturise and nourish as it cleanses. The packaging was designed to echo the colourful patterned dresses worn by the women and 100% of every bar sold goes to the L'Occitane Foundation, which is helping to fund the building of literacy centres in Burkina Faso as part of a collaboration with the NGO, Aide et Action.  

Snob - African Furniture and Interior Accessories
I stumbled upon the Green Tea Design's blog arriving on a page displaying some stunning bulbous Egyptian pendant lights adorned with intricate patterns, and followed the link through to Toronto based interiors boutique, Snob who have a whole range of gorgeous interior furniture and accessories to covet. Sourced from across the African continent Snob's products are personally selected by owner Denise Zidel who brings away with her the story each craftsman and designer has to tell in the form of a beautifully crafted object. The philosophy of Snob is to convey one of life's simple pleasures; the one that comes from being surrounded by things that have been lovingly handcrafted, serving to connect us to each other and the world in which we inhabit.

Handmade from solid copper the Egyptian pendant lights are as the name suggests, made in Egypt and come in a choice of nickel, silver, brass or oxide plated finishes. Due to the handmade nature of the pendants the size, shape and decoration may vary slightly making for a beautiful unique object. For added dramatic effect cluster them together at various heights suspend them from the ceiling; the higher the better to make a stunning focal point. When I look at them I am reminded of the post I did a while back on the equally stunning Tunisian pendants from Dido Designs. Some of the other beautiful and unusual interior treats that captured my attention included products from Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

… a veritable treasure trove of African handicrafts perfect for bringing a sense of being into the modern home

Hamed Design International
The contemporary art market in Burkina Faso is relatively young, and needs nurturing by those who are becoming successful in the field be it creator or buyer. One such creator doing just that is Hamed Ouattara. The innovative fine artist and furniture designer from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso set up Hamed Design International in 2008 with the intention of promoting visual art from Burkina Faso to an international audience.

‘I create an African design which is consumed by Africans’, a statement that highlights his desire to help people gain a sense of pride in what has been designed and manufactured locally. Of his furniture Hamed says his key goal is to counteract cheap imports that do not reflect the local culture, instead ending up causing the erosion of traditional artisan craftwork. Citing the local African experience as his source of inspiration; through his work Hamed reinterprets discarded materials into unusual everyday objects; such as cabinets and tables.

The minute I saw Hamed’s furniture, I immediately knew of one person for whom they would be a perfect match; a person who would absolutely love them, I can so picture several pieces making a home for themselves alongside their other furniture. That said, the love or hate response that art tends to elicit from viewers fully applies here; the visual aesthetic of Hamed’s highly unique furniture designs, that are so distinctive and bold will almost certainly divide opinion and encourage debate on what defines luxury. Whatever your opinion there is no denying Hameed's ingenuity in fashioning contemporary functional furniture from materials that include discarded metal and other objects; materials that give the pieces a raw, lived in look and ultimately tell a story. 

Through Hamed Design International, Hamed brings together local artists from the fields of; sculpture, painting, design and installation providing them with the opportunity to participate in exhibitions across the world and in those that Hamed has also organised. The organisation also runs competitions to encourage new talent and hosts gala dinners to draw sponsorship from those who are keen to get involved in its initiatives.

…Hamed’s furniture speaks volumes about a person and a place. Full of character I can see Hamed’s furniture setting the tone in a funky bar, restaurant, salon or office/studio; instantly adding to the mood. 


Additional information sourced from: www.africancolours.com/hamedouatarra.htm