29 October 2011

We will be closed...

... Sunday 30th October, Monday 31st October & Tuesday 1st November for a family wedding and the Melbourne Cup. Apologies for any inconvenience.

03 September 2011

Recycled Plastic Bangles


These bangles are from Burkina Faso in West Africa. They are made from strips of recycled plastic wound round an inner core, and they're super comfy to wear because they are very light.
To see more visit the Bracelets & Bangles page of our website.

17 August 2011

13 August 2011

Issa Bagayogo - Diarabi

What we're listening to at the moment... from the album 'Sya' :)

02 August 2011

Esther Mahlangu's BMW Art Car


Here's something that combines two of our loves, African Art and cars that we can't afford :)

The BMW Art Car Project was introduced by French racecar driver and auctioneer Hervé Poulain in 1975. He wanted artists to create works using cars as canvasses. In 1991, Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu was invited to paint a prototype of the new BMW 525i.

The Ndebele of South Africa have a long standing tradition of painting their houses (externally and internally) in bold geometric patterns. This tradition is extended to their beadwork, which is used for personal adornment and to decorate a variety of functional items.

Esther's car was the first in the collection to be decorated by a woman artist; and she joined a prestigious international line-up of artists including Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Ken Done and Roy Lichtenstein.

To see some Ndebele beadwork click here / Pictures courtesy: http://www.bmwartcarcollection.com/