Funky Recycled Animal Head

This piece has been hand crafted in South Africa from recycled plastic. Its a twist on the traditional animal trophy head & adds a touch of fun to any home or outdoor space!

African Percussion Instruments

Music is part of everyday African life! These pieces are loved by musicians, adults & children!

African Salad Servers

Salad servers with bone & animal carving detail - all hand carved in Kenya.

Elephant grass fans & hats

Elephant grass fans & hats hand made in Ghana, perfect for the Brisbane summer!

Article in the Brisbane Style magazine - January issue

African chic

A great stall has popped up at Jan Power’s Farmers Markets. Ikhaya (“home’’ in Zulu) sells modern African homewares, including bowls cushions ornaments & bags. The young Cape Town woman at the helm of this business, Lynne Stockdale, is passionate about supporting African artisans who are “using their craft & skill to make their way out of poverty and into the global economy”. Most of the products are made from recycled materials, so they make excellent socially conscious gifts on all fronts! Ikhaya’s quirky wares are already proving a hit, so go for a wander – the markets are on the second and fourth Saturday of every month from 6am ‘til noon at Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm – or visit the website.

A big thank you to the team at Style magazine for the mention - especially Casey!

Kazuri Ceramic Beads

Kazuri's hand-painted ceramic jewellery is made in Kenya. Every bead which makes up a necklace is shaped by hand by one of the 300 local women employed by Kazuri. The beads are then kiln fired once, glazed and fired again before being strung. The workshop is in Karen, a beautiful area just a few miles outside Nairobi & has been creating emplyment since 1975

In an age of mass-produced goods, Kazuri jewellery stands out as a little bit different. As every piece of jewellery is handmade, every one is unique. Indeed, many pieces take on the quirks and trademarks of the individual people who shape the beads, paint them or string them, giving them soul as well as beauty. So a Kazuri piece is more than an item of jewellery, it's a piece of Kenya.

Savannah Grass Shakers

Savannah grass shakers are hand woven in Ghana, West Africa. The base of the shaker is formed from a slice of dried pumpkin.

Telephone Wire Bowls

Telephone wire bowls evolved from a traditional Zulu basket known as an Imbenge. Traditional Imbenge were (and are still) made from palm leaf, and used as lids to cover containers. With urbanisation, the availability of materials changed, and the skills used to make these baskets were adapted accordingly. Telephone wire is quite hard for these communities to access and so each piece is not only unique but highly valued.

Kuba Cloth

Kuba cloth is the embroidered and appliquéd fabric of the Kuba people of central Africa. To make a Kuba cloth a plain square is woven from raffia. Kuba cloth is very stiff when first woven so it is pounded in a mortar to soften it. This can cause holes which are a normal part of the cloth. These holes are sometimes covered with appliqué. The cloths are decorated with beads and come in a variety of designs and colours. There are over 200 designs and each is known by name to the local tribes that create these collectable pieces of art.

What lies ahead?

This month we are going back to our roots with a tribal African theme! We have some fabulous pieces from Kenya, Ghana, Mali & Zambia, with a few recycled products from South Africa thrown into the mix too! From hand painted Kuba cloths to beautifully hand crafted animal salad servers! The pictures don't do them justice - come & see for yourself at the Powerhouse market this Sat 26/1!

Christmas Market 22/12/2007

2008...

Its a new year & new plans are under way! After a short break visiting friends in Sydney I have resumed business!

The next market is on 12/1 & preparations are under way to make sure there are some new pieces to show you! Let's hope the rain stops soon though!!

The Style magazine article has been published online at http://www.stylemagazines.com.au/ & we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the actual publication. Any day now.....

2008 is going to be a busy year, but also an exciting & no doubt exhausting one! It will be our first year of trading & therefore a a big learning curve.