Nampost

Emage Workshop has been crafting for over ten years and is highly equipped with the skills-development and discipline required to mesh the open-ended, unstructured artistic process on the one hand, with the goal-orientated, structured process of craft-making on the other. Emage Workshop takes conventional, acceptable forms of products such as books, dinner plates, cups, canvas clocks and beautifully blends these with hand-craft techniques using designs which shave the border with genuine fine art, solely, albeit subtle and understated. Recycled material, wood, sand, stones, shells and feather add the unique touches of truly wild and natural Namibia to the products. Tanya Schemmer, the founder of Emage Workshop draws her inspiration from nature and aims to present visitors to the Namibia Craft Centre stall with portable products encapsulating the haunting beauty of Namibian landscapes and the ephemeral essence of wildlife.

Shoopala books has one of the most extensive collection of Namibian and Southern African titles. Wildlife photographer, Hentie Burger, knows the Namibian landscape has a million different photographic angles and that they all make for great photographs. He established Foto Namibia in the Namibia Craft Centre to showcase a series of breathtaking photographs featuring Namibian wildlife, vegetation, society and culture as uniquely as he sees it; like a tourist, for the very first time. When Hentie retired late in 2018, he sold his shop to Angela Hofmeyer who has changed the name to Shoopala books. In addition to the stunning photographs of various scales and sizes, Shoopala also has an impressive selection of rare Namibian coffee table photo books and albums of Namibian landscapes, fauna and flora, all in hardcover and glossed for additional durability, the perfect gift or reception area frontispiece.

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.

Kabo Craft is a magnet for creative minds and untrained hands. Minds that draw inspiration from Namibia’s stark environment; its cultures, its spaces of a vast nature and the vibrant cities. (Hands, that shape arts and design out of every material available, from mopane wood and desert sand, to newspaper and beer cans). It is this passion for the land, aesthetics and the people, which you can see in the product that are truly Namibian ranging from papier mache, metal and woodwork, printed fabrics and toys. Located on Krumhuk farm near Windhoek, all products are hand-made by Namibians trained under talented creative eye of Katrin Bockmuhl.