ARTISANPRODUCT
"When you buy something made by a person, there is something special there, and you do feel it. The consciousness with which a thing is made is often more important that the thing itself."
-J. Donald Walters
Featured below are some of the various artisan projects I have spearheaded throughout my career. I create meaningful relationships with craftspeople all over the world to bring light to their immense knowledge and skill. By bringing artisanal communities to the forefront of design, we help them thrive by creating a platform that showcases their artisanal products and moving stories. Through intimate work with the makers, I curate their product to fit the global marketplace, while also bringing market value to previously unrecognized design techniques.
Woven by villagers in their homes west of the Atlas Mountains, our product showcases the detailed handwork of indigenous Moroccan textiles. The textural canvas – locally known as "Sabra" – is woven on traditional wooden looms into patterns featuring ancient symbolic motifs.
CACTUSSILKMOROCCO
MUDCLOTHMALI
The centuries-old art of mud dyeing cotton and embellishing it with tribal patterns. In a time-intensive process, local artisans bathe the cotton in natural dyes made from tree leaves and dry it in the sun, then hand paint traditional geometric motifs using fermented river mud. Rich in meaning, the geometric markings often tell a story.
HANBEL
MOROCCO
Deep in Morocco's majestic Atlas Mountains, the ancient Berbers live on, defying a
harsh environment and loyal to their traditions in some of the most hard to reach parts
of the African continent.
Indomitable and proud, they
call themselves the Amazigh, which is believed to mean "free people". Their origins trace back to at least
10,000 B.C.
​
KUBACLOTHCONGO
Boldly graphic and
evocative, Kuba cloth
expresses the art and culture of the Kuba people of Congo. Employing ancient African techniques, the men hand weave the raffia fibers, on single heddle looms, then soften the cloth by pounding it
with mortars. Kuba women
hand stitch the appliqués in traditional tribal designs.
BHUJODICLOTHINDIA
Reflecting the area's rich rural history, ancient symbols are reinterpreted as stylized motifs using old-world, wooden handlooms. A rich textural blend of cotton, bamboo, wool and silk, the heathered cloth is woven by hand to create a uniquely one-of-a-kind product.
ALPACACLOTHPERU
In the Andes foothills, Peruvian artisans spin and weave cloth from alpaca fleece, working a traditional wooden handloom. The striking designs give us a glimpse into the myths and arts of ancient Peru.
BASKETRYART
GHANA
The practice of weaving baskets is a traditional skill as old as the community and has been passed on from generations.
But weaving baskets is beyond continuing an age long tradition, it is also about creating jobs. Making and selling baskets serve as an additional source of income for many women.
Wayuu women learn how to weave at a very early age. The Wayuu are descendants of the Caribs and Arawak peoples in Colombia, largely known for their strong weaving tradition. The Wayuu carry on this traditional weaving.
WAYUUHERITAGE
COLOMBIA
WOODBONE GHANA
In Ghana, traditional wood carving has been an ancient industry. The wood carving industry in the Akuapim Hill has provided employment for a large number of people in the design and production of different forms of carved objects.