Sidai Designs recently attended the International Folk Art Market (IFAM), in Santa Fe!
IFAM brings artisans from all around the world to showcase their wares to Santa Fe residents, traveling collectors of artisan design, curious creatives, interior and fashion enthusiasts, buyers and shop owners.
Sadly, due to visa challenges also experienced by many artisans who had planned to attend the market, we were unable to bring Tanzanian members of our team. We represented our beaders by showcasing their beautiful portraits, and shared stories about our work with them.
As well as a range of jewelry and homwares, we took drawings by Maasai guard and self-taught illustrator, Lengisia, and told stories of how he grew up in the Ngorongoro area and hence loves to draw wildlife and cows. Both our pieces and Lengisia’s drawings were adored by the attendees!
We were visited at our stand by the super stylish and warm-hearted Ali Macgraw, who is a big fan of our Leather Bracelet Cuffs in both black and white. Not one to do style by halves, Ali wears one of the cuffs on either wrist for an impactful look, which she pairs with her daily ‘white shirt and jeans’ pairing that she swears by.
We talked craft, design and culture with artisans from Palestine to India, Nigeria to Ghana, and got to ask burning questions about weaving styles and dying techniques that we had always wondered about. It was like having access to an artisanal encyclopaedia!
We were inspired by the beautiful weaving by the Wounaan Craft Group from Colombia (whose bracelets we are stacking up with our Sidai!), and bandhani dying from Sidr Craft, India. We took home some keepsakes such as desert bells from India and vetiver baskets from Madagascar.
We look forward to hopefully being invited back next year!
