With African Lily – Artwork from Africa – Happy Farm Ltd. – Kizimwi Designs Ltd. – Le collane di Betta – One a Day
Exhibition on exclusive Art, Décor, Accessories & unique handmade Jewellery
On the occasion of the Italian National Day
Exhibition on exclusive Art, Décor, Accessories & unique handmade Jewellery
ITALIAN CREATIVITY
IN KENYA
with
African Lily – Artwork from Africa – Happy Farm Ltd. –
Kizimwi Designs Ltd. – Le Collane di Betta – One A Day
Italian Institute of Culture – Michelangelo Hall
Inauguration: Thursday, 30th May 2013 – 7.00pm
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The exhibition runs until 7th June – closed on
weekends & public holidays
Monday to Thursday from 10am to 6pm. / Fridays from 10am to 4pm
Our thanks to the companies below for organizing a tasting
of their products during the inauguration:
Ariana’s: titbits, Martale International Ltd.: Disaronno Products,
Nairobi Wine Gallery: Italian wines and Pomodoro for providing bitings and juices for the evening.
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Italian Institute of Culture – 6th floor, Grenadier Tower (opposite Jacaranda Hotel in Westlands) Tel.: (020) 4451266 / 0733 624834
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African Lilly – Leather accessories
African Lily, a small leather enterprise was founded in Kenya in 2007. It is owned by two Italians who are experts with over 30 years tested and proven experience.
The ultimate aim of the founders’ is to create a luxurious brand of high quality leather accessories made in Kenya, blended with Italian flair and of very reasonable price.
The African Lily selection of original and exclusively designed goods includes;
Ladies’ wallets, purses, handbags, men’s’ wallets, travel and document holders, belts among others.
These are all made of very good quality leather and to high standards of workmanship. The products come in a variety of beautiful designs and colours.
We will be selling from our workshop off Ngong Road near Adams Arcade. We will be moving our Junction Shop to ABC Place along Waiyaki Way. We have a retail outlet in Nairobi at Westlands, Westgate Shopping Mall.
All our products are purely handmade in Kenya.
We obtain our leather from local dealers.
African Lily workshop has a labour force of more than 12 Kenyan employees who are very skilled and thoroughly trained in the latest techniques of designing and fabricating leather products.
It also outsources the services of beadwork from a group of handworking ladies of The Nyisango Project in Kibera slums. These are women living with HIV/AIDS thus by utilizing their skills in beadwork helps to improve their quality of life.
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Artwork from Africa – Craft shop
Artwork from Africa is a small craft workshop employing and outsourcing craft work to Kenyan artisans. Our main work consists of making stationery items covered with leather or ethnic fabric and craftwork, such as folders, books, albums, conference folders, guest books, wedding invitations, Christmas cards and many other stationery items.
Our outlet, an ethnic cart, is situated at Westgate Shopping Mall, Westlands, 1st floor.
During our years of operation we have made very many guest folders and menu holders for a large number of prestigious camps, lodges, hotels and restaurants in Kenya and Tanzania, such as Mara & Serengeti Bushtops, Olonana camps, Heritage Hotels, A&K, Majlis Hotel in Lamu, Satao Camps, Lion’s Bluff, Havana Restaurant and numerous others. We have made engraved leather presentation certificates, folders, gift items, Christmas cards for many premium organisations such as, Agrinco, Coca Cola, E.A. Industries, petroleum companies, film companies and others.
We also have been making all the itinerary folders with recycled and handmade paper and ethnic fabrics for Micato Safaris and exporting albums to the USA for Micato clients, have done itinerary folders and gift items for Maniago Safaris and also client folders for a tour operator in Australia.
Artwork of Africa made the 15 leather folders holding the OATH of OFFICE, OATH of ALLEGIANCE and CERTIFICATE of INAUGURATION, for the swearing in ceremony on 9th April, 2013, of Kenya’s 4th President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto, were made by Olga Ercolano of Artwork from Africa
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Happy Farm Ltd. – Soapstone décor/household
In Kenya for the past two decades, Michele Capri was seduced by the unexploited possibilities in which soapstone can be utilized, be it in interior architecture or in design, and he has created an entire collection of objects and components for home decor.
Further to presenting more than fifty creations that have marked this Artist’s journey, the exhibition will illustrate the line of production of these fascinating objects from their very extraction.
In the tradition of the KISII people of Kenya there is a legend:
Soapstone originally was white and the Sun caressing it with its warm rays soaked it with all the vivid colours of the African sunset
This folklore is still evident today and Michele Capri, a romantic dreamer and globetrotter, happened upon TABAKA and charmed by this tale decided to make it his own. It was a happy encounter.
Michele’s love of soapstone created a relationship of feeling and trust with the community of carvers… so “Happy Farm Limited” was born.
Alongside the soapstone produced for the tourist market, Happy Farm Ltd. has designed a new line for the home. This includes wall tiles, mosaic, table bases, lamps, bathroom sets, dining sets, platters, ornamental tableware – all of exquisite design and all are works of arts. This new interpretation is being received very successfully in Italy.
The hard, patient and extraordinary manual skills of the KISII people are matched naturally to Michele’s creativity and Italian taste.
Days are spent in the quarries choosing and mining, by hand, the blocks of stone with the most intense colours. While Michele designs, his carvers mould the soapstone incorporating the spirit of their personality: together they have created a new way of using soapstone.
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Kizimwi Designs – Accessories
Kizimwi Designs was born during a rainy season on Lamu Island off the north coast of Kenya in 2010. We started by making a few small wallets for a local shop and now, three years later, we have a large range of accessories from computer cases, handbags, yoga bags and beauty cases. Kizimwi can now be found globally, with products being sold in America, Europe and of course, here in Africa.
Our products are made using traditional African fabrics such as kanga, kitenge and kikoy. There is such a variety of fun and vibrant fabrics originating from this continent and what Kizimwi does, is create contemporary and practical pieces with that African twist. Our cases are padded and weatherproof, making them the perfect travel companions. We also use beads, shells and coconut buttons to finish off our pieces, giving them that extra special touch. These vary for every individual design; from shells I’ve collected on the beach, Ethiopian crosses and beads, Indian Maruti beads to Turkish “evil eyes”. Each bead has been collected by the designer through her travels around the world and assembled personally to match the product it comes with.
The Designer
Benedetta Giuliani moved to Kenya 18 years ago. She was instantly captivated by the beautiful fabrics and materials found in Africa, which have been a source of inspiration throughout her artistic career. She studied Fashion and 3-Dimesional Design at The Surrey Institute of Art and Designs in the U.K., achieving her Bachelor of Arts. She then returned to Kenya where she started her fabric collection, which, without her knowing, would become the foundation for Kizimwi Designs.
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Le collane di Betta – Jewellery design