I always find myself so inspired by the African culture. Im not sure if it is their bold use of color, their insane prints or the radiance of their smiles that always gets me. I guess it must be all of the above! At the festival, I found myself attracted to most of the South African art and that is the majority of what I ended up buying. The artisans that I met were amazing and I was so impressed by their skills as well as their vision for their art. My encounters with them made my call to visit Africa ring stronger than ever before. Take a look at some of my favorite artisans work below.
There was a huge assortment of beadwork from South Africa and Kenya at the festival. I was lucky enough to have my sister bring me some amazing pieces from the Masai tribe in Kenya when she visited last year. Take a look at some of the amazing beadwork that I saw from a group of South African artists.
The lady below was amazing as well and her work and color combos were just as inspiring. As was her outfit!
Pottery and baskets were a popular item from the African artisans, but the lady’s work below made from mud were some of the most beautiful shapes. Each were so detailed and felt very tribal and modern at the same time. I could picture these pieces in a variety of high end design stores.

Many of the artists were sitting at their booth creating their craft right in front of you to show how the process goes. This was fascinating.
And here is a shot of me with a few of my purchases: a green wired cuff, a colorful bowl and a bunch of horsehair flowers from Chile. And on my left wrist is one of the Masai beaded cuffs my sister brought me back from Kenya last year.
Umm, do you think I like color and am inspired by Africa? I think this picture gives it away…
370 Comments
Lori Cropp (@Textileaholic)
This show is so flipping amazing! Is it the same time and place every year? I would trek across the country to check this out. It looks like a trip around the world without the jet lag.
theschereport
@textileaholic yes it is amazing indeed and goes on every year in Santa Fe..called the Santa Fe International Folk Art Festival. And I totally felt like I was taking the easy way thru a bunch of countries bazaars with the coolest best stuff…its really quite amazing..you should def go I highly recommend it!