Kabo Crafts

The quirky charm of Maid in Africa lies in its distinctly modern and rural African narrative. More than anything the everyday images, such as shebeens, bottles of Marmite and cans of sardines, carefully reproduced on the bright, hand-painted fabrics are accompanied by amusing and humorous African sayings, a tongue-in-cheek twist added to the regularity of contemporary African life. Andrew and Micha Weir started Maid in Africa in 2006 after their domestic worker, Priscilla, was diagnosed with HIV. They were forced to watch helplessly as her condition worsened even though Priscilla expressed a desire to continue being productive. Micha Weir showed Priscilla how to silk-screen paint and produce hand-painted fabrics. Tragically, Priscilla succumbed to AIDS in 2007 but her passing inspired the Weirs to spread a wonderful, celebratory message, including immortalising Priscilla’s smiling image as ‘Maidonna’ on a variety of surfaces and a range of beautiful.

Miracle Arts & Crafts is a relatively small stall in the Namibia Crafts Centre but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for with a resplendent and truly amazing variety of small to medium sized handicrafts from every imaginable corner of Namibia. The woman behind this ‘tiny shopping mall’ of crafts is Elisabeth Hangara, a crafter herself. Elisabeth has a generous, curious and creative spirit which manifests itself in the depth of the range of crafts in the stall. Everything and anything you can imagine from ear adornments, bangles, postcards, greeting cards, handmade paper, Namibian flags and key-rings, scarves to hand-embroidered cushion covers, placemats, ceramics, wire craft, wood craft…the list is endless. She so thoroughly immerses visitors to her stall in the variety of craft products available in Namibia.

Out Of Katutura is a collaboration of two projects, the IYaloo Project and the Matukondo Doll Project. The IYaloo Project was started in 2005 by four unemployed women of Katutura. Kornelia, Beata, Maria and Emilia combined their skills to alter, repair clothing and make pet baskets for cats and dogs, and later expanded to include the production of beanbags. While making beautiful beanbags, the IYaloo women also started making unique and interesting handbags using discarded vinyl LPs. The Matukondjo Dolls Project was founded in 2003 by a former kindergarten teacher, the original eight members of the Matukondjo Dolls Project are still the primary producers of a charming collection of 100% child-friendly rag dolls. The range of includes a Big Mama doll, a Sister Baby doll and a Simple Doll Dress.