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For the last 12 years I
collect, sell & promote craft from Southern Africa, it’s my job, my passion, it’s my life. The 40
artistes with whom I work are friends, they live in Namibia, Congo, Zambia, Botswana & Zimbabwe. Each one specializes in a certain material and a
certain art style. Brena makes painted dishes with African Teak, Farai
carves abstract elephants out of a stone called Rapoko, Irene paints scenes
with African characters in a colorful & fantasy style. Sometimes people ask
me if I am part of the fair trade system, I don’t know if I really understand
the concept, I work with people I like and respect, for me it’s obvious that
all sustainable & durable trade has to benefit all parties. We are partners
fascinated by the world of art, who share the same love for beauty &
creation, our exchanges and trust make us grow & strengthen us constantly.
Agreeing on prices is the easiest and the less interesting part of my work, to
evaluate the artistic value of a creation, to try to understand the meaning and
the idea that defines it is much more complex, it’s in those moments that I
learn the most and become the most aware of the intensity of creation that
animates artists.
Several times per year I
load my truck with my travel & exploration equipment as well as the list of
car parts, solar equipment, tools and other requests from the friends I will
visit and I go through a circuit of meetings & art collection which spans
several countries. I stay with the artists I work with & their families and
we dwell in African art.
Once back in Namibia I display the art on this website and in my
gallery. Many items are unique, others can be commissioned & produced in a
certain quantity, the people I work with do not produce in big volumes, sometimes when I ask an artist why he hasn’t
made those beautiful wood boxes or these stone giraffes, he simply answers that
he got tired of making them and has started working on something else. I am
happy to showcase the art of this part of Africa that I belong to, and to sell these items to private buyers as well
as shops who intend to resell to their own customers. And now, click on
one of the links above and enjoy the visit…
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