Studio : NOVICA

Publisher : NOVICA

Product Description
NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, works together with talented artisan designers around the world to produce stunning, keepsake treasures. Our mantra is to spread global happiness, so rest assured - we'll do everything we possibly can to ensure you're a happy customer.

About this item: Ghana's Paul Nurture designs an original basket handbag from natural fibers, giving a second use to corn husks. Conscious of ecology, he weaves the fibers by hand, trimming the piece with plantain leaves. A cheerful cotton lining covers the top of the purse and closes with a drawstring. Leather covers the handles.

About our Artist: I was born in Accra, but my family comes from Obo in the Eastern Region of Ghana. My late uncle, Fred Oppong, taught me to weave with corn husks but after three months, he abandoned the work because it wasn't lucrative. I thought about this skill I had acquired, and decided that I would pursue this art and come up with new, attractive designs. Initially, I was creating small bags and customers were so appreciative of my work. That encouraged me to continue. Other customers also contributed greatly to my work by suggesting ways I could improve my designs. These made me realize my art work is something worth pursuing. I work with all kinds of materials - corn husks, plantain leaves, kente cloth, fabric, leather, plywood, foam, raffia, twine and cotton cord. The corn husks and plantain leaves are mainly used to wrap a local corn dough dumpling called kenkey. After the food is consumed, the husks or leaves are burned. I then thought that if I could increase my production, much of these raw materials would be put to better use. Because the weaving process is done by hand, the bags take time to create. My main challenge is getting machines that I can use in sewing up the bags in order to produce more. My second greatest challenge is marketing my designs. They are fairly new and I don't have a lot of...
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