Chouette Mama
The soothing, nourishing, regenerating and healing properties of West Africa's indigenous plant life forms the basis of a range of 100% natural skincare products formulated by Senegalese based business, Chouette Mama. The business was founded in 2007 by Phil and Geraldine Pernin, a French couple with an interest in botany, that led them to relocate to Popenguine, a small village on the Senegalese coast with idea of setting up a laboratory creating natural skincare based around plants that have been used locally for generations. Virgin sesame oil, shea butter, essential oils and plant extracts such as baobab, hibiscus, moringa, okra and kola nut are formulated to create a range of body lotions, vegetable based soaps, shampoos, massage oils, shea butter balms and exfoliating scrubs. Chouette Mama products are sold throughout Senegal and West Africa and have been gaining international interest.

Chouette Mama products are produced in partnership with members of the Popenguine community including; recruiting and training local women, sourcing from local suppliers and producers of raw materials; and collaborating with local artisans who help create the product packaging and display elements such as wooden boxes, soap dishes and bags made from African fabrics. 

...Africa's natural beauty.

Artlantique
Weathered by the elements, wood salvaged from old or discarded fishing boats is given a new lease of life as contemporary furniture collections, whilst retaining the hallmarks of its former life. Along the coasts of West Africa fishermen have long been a common sight, making daily trips into the ocean in brightly coloured narrow boats crafted by highly skilled craftsmen; and it is this connection between fishing and carpentry that inspired Artlantique to produce its distinctive and colourful furniture, which design in Spain by Ramón Llonch and handcrafted in Senegal by a team of master craftsmen.

The boats are made from untreated Samba wood and feature layer upon layer of paint as fresh coats and designs are added over the lifespan of the boat. Artlantique works with local craftsmen and their apprentices to produce the furniture pieces from the reclaimed wood. Boats that have passed their useful life are bought from the fishermen, transported to the Artlantique workshop where the craftsmen decide how best to utilise the wood, taking into consideration the size of the boat and colour combinations. 

No two boats are ever the same, making each Artlantique furniture piece unique. The designs are simple relying on the illustrations and layers of peeling paint to add character and texture, in the process telling the stories of livelihoods; thousands of nautical miles spent riding the waves; and those of the people that carved them to withstand the daily demands of carrying fishermen and their catch.

A Senegalese Holiday Home
An explosion of clashing colour and pattern characterises an idyllic holiday home in Senegal that I came across on the blog, African Moto. Located in the popular resort town of Saly, simple outdoor living is the order of the day conveyed in a mix of local, regional and Parisian influences.

Exterior walls in shades of salmon pink become feature points providing the backdrop to a generous seating area constructed out of stonework, and covered with a myriad of plump Dutch wax cloth cushions, arranged around wrought iron coffee tables that were created by local Senegalese artisans and spray painted in a local body shop; whilst a shaded terrace for entertaining guests features a dining table and benches carved by a local carpenter and accessorised with more vibrant fabrics that include an 'Obama' oilcloth from South African company, Shine Shine. The house has no glass panes, instead shutters are used and apple green coloured gates on some of the window spaces provide another excuse to add even more splashes of colour. 

Indoors, English sofas and armchairs are covered with vibrant Dutch Wax and solid bold colour, set off against a backdrop of calming vanilla walls, and in the bathrooms bright purple is the colour of choice. In the kitchen, complementing the stonework base units is a cabinet by Senegalese furniture designer Ousmane Mbaye, adding a focal point of patchwork colour. 

Colourfully eclectic, this home is alive with carefree, playfulness.

Loman Art
Creating poetry, songs and works of art, designer Loman Pawlitschek is the embodiment of the term 'creative spirit'. Creating mobiles and other decorative art features like mirrors, Loman is committed to upcycling, taking unwanted and discarded scrap metals and materials, turning them into functional objects of value. Originally from Australia, Loman and her family moved to South Africa for a few years where she worked as an interior decorator, before moving to Dakar, Senegal where she has lived for four years; and where her business Loman Art is based. Dakar has been a source of inspiration for Loman who draws inspiration from the city; the energy, the people and the weather amongst other things, saying that what she has found in Senegal has inspired her to do things differently from the norm and to try and make a difference.

Having no experience of working with metal Loman acknowledges that creating the first mobiles was a learning curve. Loman started by working with some local metal workers who soon came to work with for business full-time. Sourcing sheets of metal or rolls of wire from a recycling yard in Medina, a local neighbourhood, all the metal shapes for each product are cut by hand, and some pieces can be quite detailed taking a long time to complete. The paint used on the metal is the same as that used for painting cars and is an involved process which saw Loman and the team visit a local car workshop to see firsthand how it was done. Loman Art now comprises a team of seven who work across, metalwork, painting and decorating, and sewing; and by invitation some established local artists have come into the workshop to teach the team new techniques in painting and metalwork. Other materials collected include bottle tops and ring can pulls that are being used to decorate linens and accessories like cushion covers, aprons and handbags.

Loman Art is essentially about taking 'rubbish' and turning it into unique art pieces and Loman's home; both interior and exterior is a testament to the business' imaginative and highly creative designs with walls providing the backdrop to intricately assembled floral inspired mobiles whilst floral and geometric inspired chandeliers hang gracefully overhead; including one impressive centrepiece that when switched on has rotating parts like planets orbiting the sun! Outside, sculpted mirrored panels made from scrap metal or bottle tops woven together line the walls, but the 'piece de resistance' of which there are two... come in the form of a huge racing car climbing up the side of a wall and an equally huge glitter ball suspended over the swimming pool that gently rotates when switched on. Although made from metal some of Loman Art's designs tend to have a light paper-like quality about them, think origami, but closer inspection reveals them to be quite sturdy. 

Aissa Dione Tissus
Businesses, schools, private residences, galleries, shops, hotels, workshops and studios opening up their spaces to hold exhibitions as part of the Dak'art OFF programme, brought the opportunity to meet with the artists and designers behind the works if you got your timing right. Opening the doors of her home was award-winning textile artist Aissa Dione Tissus, who was displaying the works of several artists in her elegant surroundings. Aissa was very welcoming and I was honoured to meet her; it was one of the many occasions I wished I spoke French, as there was so much I wanted to ask. Aissa is renowned for her luxurious, high-end fabrics that have attracted commissions from the likes of Hermès and Fendi.

Of French/Senegalese heritage, Aissa grew up in France where she studied Fine Arts and started her career as a painter, moving to Senegal in her twenties to develop her art. It was in Senegal where Aissa began to create her innovative textiles; the result of offering to help a client, who wanted to buy one of her paintings, redecorate his office. Aissa did so sourcing local staff, materials and tools; and her fabrics were soon picked up by the local press, which led to a leading international designer who spotted them in a magazine placing an order, and subsequently others followed suit.

Aissa's colourful and beautifully woven textiles combine traditional techniques, such as Mandjaque weaving, with her own brand of style and creativity; reworking the colours, motifs and designs in richly dyed threads and materials like cotton and raffia to create products that have a contemporary classic design aesthetic. The fabrics are gorgeous, beautiful to touch with a smooth silky feel that is contrasted with the texture of the patterns. The fabrics created are also turned into personal and home décor items like bed linen, clothing, bags, table linen, cushions and throws.

Aissa is noted for her professionalism, seen through her products and the way her business is run. Producing and exporting her hand woven fabrics, Aissa has been in the industry for over twenty years and employs over 100 staff in her factory located on the outskirts of Dakar in an area called Rufisque. Aissa insisted I visit her Atelier to see the machines and how everything was done but unfortunately my plans got thwarted just as I was heading out the city...Oh well next time I'm in Senegal! I was told, however that in the factory traditional know-how is combined with modern advancements, Aissa has developed her own looms, adapted from those used for traditional weaving, and some with the help of Dakar Technology. Modern looms are also used.

Supportive of up-and-coming artists Aissa used to have a gallery in the city centre, and is now looking to turn her home into a gallery space. In addition to fabrics, Aissa also produces beautifully crafted furniture like dining room tables and sofas covered with her fabrics. 
  

Papa Ibra Tall
Several months ago I coveted a dress made out of gorgeously colourful clashing prints, alas no available size meant it remained on the hanger, but was reminded of the distinctive print when I saw some stunning tapestries by renowned Senegalese artist Papa Ibra Tall, whose exhibition opening was one of the first I stumbled upon during Dak’art 2012. Held at the Place du Souvenir, the event was a retrospective of sorts celebrating the artist's long career, a lively well attended occasion that saw guests milling about observing the art and enjoying the warm evening, serenaded by the jazzy sounds of the National Orchestra. Displayed alongside paintings and photography, for me the tapestries were the highlight; rich in detail, colour and pattern; and at several metres in length and width covered large expanses of the exhibition room’s walls. Each tapestry was accompanied by a framed A3 painted sketch that showed the basis of the final piece. Woven in wool, the tapestries had a heavy sumptuousness about them and featured vivid, intricately themed imagery, the bright colours, mostly used against dark backgrounds for added contrast. The artistic style called to mind the highly decorative Art Nouveau characteristics of depicting nature, flourishes and rich colour; in particular that of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt; with hints of Picasso’s Cubism structure.

In a career spanning back to the mid-1950’s Papa Ibra Tall studied architecture and fine art in Paris and it was here that he started designing and weaving his tapestries, inspired by the designs and colours he had seen in a local exhibition of carpets and rugs. Paris was also where Papa Ibra Tall developed a love for Black American Jazz - referenced to in the music he chose for the opening of his exhibition - and during the same period he was also instrumental in organising an exhibition for Black artists living in Europe. Following independence in 1959 Papa Ibra Tall returned to Senegal, and began experimenting with ceramics, screen-printing and tapestry; eventually setting up a loom and began working to develop the modern art of weaving within the country. Between 1974-1991 Papa Ibra Tall’s work was part of a major traveling exhibition showcasing contemporary Senegalese art in America, Europe and Asia. Involved in major world cultural events, Papa Ibra Tall has also receiving various honours that include Commander of the Academic Palms of the Republic of Senegal; the Knight of the Order of Rio Branco from Brazil; and in the USA he has been awarded Freeman of the City of New Orleans and the City Atlanta. Tapestries always remind me of old grand stately homes given how they can dominate the rooms they are hung in, but despite the fact that the ones shown date back to the 1970's they have a timelessness about them and would work in contemporary interior spaces.

...a pioneer of contemporary African art, Papa Ibra Tall's tapestries are fine examples of modern classics

Nanga def, ('hello, how are you' in Wolof... and, also the name given to a rather yummy cocktail!). 
Four weeks in Dakar have come and gone leaving in their wake a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and colours. My time Dakar was amazing, surpassing my expectations. There are times when some things are just meant to be, when everything just comes together; I felt that during my time in Senegal. I went to Senegal with no real plan of what I was going to do, having deliberately chosen to adopt a-wait-till-I-get-there approach. Unbeknownst to me at the time of planning, my trip coincided with the Dak'Art 2012 Biennale, which quickly formed the framework to my days, as the city was taken over by exhibition openings, performances, and discussions centred on art and design. Although I knew about the Biennale I hadn't thought to check when the next one was being held, so it was a pleasant surprise, and I could not have planned it better; a whole month indulging in art, design and creativity in deliciously hot sunshine. And indulge I did... by the end of my holiday I was mentally exhausted, my mind saturated and trying to process all I had seen and done... and above all I came away fulfilled. My research had revealed Dakar to be a highly creative and cultural city, but to step into the midst of it whilst a month-long celebration was happening was something else.

Amongst the littered and dusty landscape beats the rhythmic pulse of a vibrant, energetic city going about it days; it wasn't brash, more like a continuous hum heard through voices blending in with traffic drifting up to shady balconies, and through open windows, backed by the steady beat of construction work in shaping new silhouettes across the city. I met artists, some of whom I've featured, others I had on my list waiting to be posted, and yet others who will now be added. I visited exhibitions and attended openings; some good, some not so good; some planned, others I just happened to stumble upon following the sounds of enticing music drifting in the air. I sought refuge from the heat in airy cool gallery spaces, such as the Raw Material Company and Biscuiterie de Medina. I peeked into open-air workshops to watch artisans at work, carving objects or recycling metals; and wandered round the studios of artists at Village des Arts de Dakar, near the airport. I engaged in lively dialogue, challenged my perceptions and conquered my fears. I had the pleasure of meeting with several readers of African Daydreams who took me to their favourite places in the city; introduced me to renowned local artists such as textile artist Aissa Dione Tissus; and toured art collections like the contemporary pieces from local artists that can be seen displayed throughout the sophisticated interior of the Radisson Blu; which I was told was designed by South African architectural practice, Stefan Antoni  Olmesdahl Truen, previously featured on African Daydreams. I saw and interacted with products I have featured on African Daydreams; including the innovative stools and tables by Bibi Seck. I sifted my way through colorful fabrics, jewellery and basketry as I 'discovered' local arts and crafts geared towards the tourist market; taking a particular delight in the colourful kitsch 'sous verre' glass paintings that ranged from contemporary illustrations to simplistic stylised renderings of Senegalese people and everyday life; and was overwhelmed by way too much samey-samey objects like the skillfully carved wood carvings lining the streets and gracing the stalls. I thought I knew what an 'African' market was like until came face-to-face with Sandaga; Zimbabwean markets are tame in comparison! Wow it was an experience, overwhelming... once was enough and I opted for the more smaller, quieter markets where I could practice my bargaining skills! A generalisation, the Senegalese marketeers know how to sell and can talk the talk! Away from Dakar, took the ferry to the beautiful, yet poignant Goree Island which invoked a period of quiet reflection; and spent another day strolling the beaches of Saly.   

Add good food, creamy cocktails and being serenaded by the sounds of waves crashing along to the shore, I could spend all day trying to capture the essence of my experiences. For someone who doesn't speak French or Wolof I didn't do too badly methinks. I got to know Dakar well, but I couldn't have done it on my own. Thank you, I am truly grateful to everyone who looked after me, translated for me, gave of their time to take me out and about or simply offered advice. PS: if you are reading this and wondering if that includes you; yes it does!     
      
Filed away in my mind, as the days go by I will be sharing my 'finds'