LOCAL designer Gail Mawocha, who has been based in Swaziland for the past seven years, has started working with handcraft artists in Harare towards revamping the creative genre.
Report by Entertainment Reporter
The designer works with about 20 artists at the National Handicraft Centre and they have produced exceptional hand designs.
Mawocha, who founded the Mustard Seed Africa designers’ organisation, said her experience in handcrafts and designs in Swaziland had inspired her to give something back to local designers.
The team will this year take its work to the designs and crafts arena at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (Hifa). “Our aim is to raise awareness of the remarkable skill and talent of handcraft artisans as well as highlight the importance of handcraft as a tool for poverty alleviation,” said Mawocha.
“We also hope to change the perceptions about handcrafts and to encourage young designers and students to take an interest in product design.”
At Hifa, the team will present an exhibition themed Rural to Ramp Handcraft Showcase.
“Rural to Ramp Handcraft Showcase is a platform developed to encourage innovation, creativity, product design and marketing through collaborative efforts between handcraft producers and designers,” she said.
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“It provides a platform to push handcraft artisans beyond boundaries whilst preserving indigenous knowledge and enables the audience to experience the artistic expression of products which are African by inspiration and contemporary in design.
“Mustard Seed Africa has been developing this concept over the years with the main objective of showcasing the best of handcraft and textile design in Africa whilst stimulating product development to enable the creative development of new product lines.”
Mawocha said the handcraft showcase is not only a fashion show, but an event that incorporates drama, folktales and handcraft design while creating a platform for buyers, designers and stakeholders to appreciate products from a different perspective.
In addition to local organisations such as Lupane Women’s Centre, who will showcase their work, five organisations from Swaziland will also be part of this initiative. These include Gone Rural, Imvelo Eswatini, Quazi Design, Golden Hands and Baobab Batik.
