Three Caribbean homeware artisans will be exhibting at this year's Autumn Fair from 6-9th September at Birmingham's NEC. These artisans are a part of the Design Caribbean contingent showcasing at the event, which will see over 1400 international exhibitors with products on display to the UK and the rest of the world.
This year, Design Caribbean, an export promotion platform executed by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), will present three distinctly unique artisans showcasing their original and ingenious homeware lines. These include Amazon Authentics, By Making and BAUGHaus Design Studio.
Using a diverse range of local tropical woods either recycled or discarded by commercial loggers, the Guyanese company Amazon Authentics produces tableware, vases, candlesticks and other decorative and functional pieces for the home. Owner and manager, Irene Bacchus-Holder, nominated for the inaugural UNCYAD/EMPRETEC International Women in Business Award 2008, started her trade doing pyrography on functional items, such as jewellery boxes and kitchen wares. After being encouraged by her friends and family, Irene registered her business.
Using species such as Purpleheart, Simarupa and Hububalli, each item is individually hand-finished, is of high quality and is either enhanced with pyrographic art or left to show off its naturally exotic colours.
Comparably, Marlon Darbeau, founder of Trinidadian-based By Making, also uses wood in his products, but brings together a few specialised artisans such as wood turners and welders, and marries their work to bring to life unique and contemporary pieces made from contrasting materials such as cedar and stainless steel.
Seeking to investigate the relationship between utilitarian objects, people and places, Marlon, a graduate of College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad & Tobago (COSTAATT) and John Donaldson Technical Institute, focusses on the reinterpretation of traditional and familiar things with the intent in developing new, surprising, aesthetic and desirable objects. His collection consists of a range of benches, tables, whimsical manipulateable forms, salad servers, and bowls.
Dana Baugh completed her studies at Parson’s School the New School for Design in New York City before returning to her island home of Jamaica and launched BAUGHaus Design Studio in 2012, in pursuit of her dream to create objets d’Art. Defined by simple shapes and traditional local materials, Dana creates hand-made ceramics, lighting, furniture and soft goods for the home. The products are a reflection of “Brand Jamaica” values by targeting the premium interiors and product design markets with what she describes as her Jamaican perspective on ‘tropical modern’ design.
Other exhibitors at the Design Caribbean booth will include Rainforest Pottery from Guyana, Hands in Clay and Reve Jewellery from Jamaica, Bijou Lakay and Josnel Bruno from Haiti, Reecii from St. Kitts and Nevis and Designs by Nadia from St. Lucia.
