Rwanda - Greeting Cards

Lovely!

Handmade paper & cards by young people in Rwanda

Umbrella card by Cards from Africa

Each card tells a story. Created with a variety of handmade papers, these collages are some of the most beautiful original works of art I've seen on cards. I love the meticulous hand-cut designs so much I feel like framing them and putting them on my wall (but I am going to mail them to friends).

Returning Home by Cards from Africa

For years I have been admiring the wonderful paper making skills of these artists, especially the vibrant colors they have been able to achieve with natural dyes and reflective mica rock flakes. (My photographs don't quite capture the wonderful textures and colors of the actual cards.)

Back of Returning Home card signed by Issa

The cards are signed on the back by the artist. Fair Trade and Eco-Friendly, these cards can be purchased in specialty shops in 21 states in the U.S. or on Cards From Africa's online store.

Twilight Tree card by Cards from Africa

Based in Cambridge, UK, Cards from Africa was founded in 2004 by Chris Page with an admirable premise: "We believe that all people are precious and that we must do more than provide jobs: we must take care of the entire person. As a result, we take a holistic approach to employment."

*I really like the images photographer Greg Funnell took of artisans of Cards from Africa when he visited their Kigali workplace in 2011

Comments

Surviving my Teen Years with Shakespeare

I became passionate about poetry in high school when I desperately needed guidance. When I needed something to make sense of the chaos others called life. There was no IG, no FB, no Internet, no cell phones, no "reach out and touch" when life quickly crumbled, leaving you alone with just the clothes on your back. Earlier this year I revisited all 154 Shakespeare Sonnets and began making textile books inspired by them. Here is Sonnet One -- Don't Get Twisted by the Bling of Youth.

Born of Love, Shakespeare's Sonnet 151

Over the summer I worked on new artwork, Born of Love , inspired by Shakespeare's Sonnet 151. The book offers a translation of the sonnet to the language of textiles and embroidery. Working on this book allowed me to explore the beauty of textiles from four continents. Its construction is inspired by the poetic structure within the sonnet. This book, along with two other of my art pieces, will be on exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library from 16 Sept 2024 - 9 Feb 2025.

Evidence: The Art of Candy Jernigan

Art is Life I was introduced to Candy Jernigan's art and book when I was going through cancer treatment more than a decade ago. Her meticulously arranged collages, paintings, and drawings have had a profound impact on the way I view art, life, and visual storytelling. Before reading her book, I had never seen how powerful art journaling could be -- that it could also be an artistic tool for social commentary. Candy Jernigan (b. 1952- 1991) attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. Soon after graduating she became a painter, set and costume designer in Provincetown, MA. In Evidence , Stokes Howell wrote, " By the time she returned to New York in 1980 she was starting to develop the themes and methods she would work with the rest of her life." Candy described the transformative process of taking found objects, "trash," and discarded materials from life and turning them into art: "In 1980, as I set out on my first trip to Europe, I decided...

Baltimore Sonnets

Search This Blog