well being

Nestled at the foot of the mighty Andes, a quiet Peruvian village is inviting. Luis Leon depicts cozy homes, verdant fields and narrow lanes where townspeople go about their daily round. Working in wool on a traditional loom, the artisan conveys sensations of peace and well-being.

Titled "El pueblo" in Spanish.

Photographer Ryan Chappell in Thailand evokes memories of travels in Asia with this original photograph. Freshly rolled incense sticks dry in the sun in Vietnam, their distinct fragrances wafting through the air. "No matter how much time I spend in Asia, the smoky yet delicate scent of incense at temples and at businesses as an offering for good sales, never fails to bring a sense of peace and well being", confides the photographer. The photograph is signed and presented in a card stock mat.

Crafted by members of the Lopez Garcia Family of Guatemala, these quitapenas dolls make a wonderful gift for friends or family that tells the recipient you care about their well-being and wish them the best. Quitapenas means "to remove worries" in Spanish; artisan Aura Lopez explains the Mayan worry doll tradition. "My grandparents said that the way to use them was to take the doll out of the bag or wooden box and tell it your problems and fears," she states. "Then, you place the doll under your pillow and, the next day, your problem becomes smaller or can be resolved." The set consists of two pairs of male and female worry dolls joined together by a red heart. Handmade, the dolls are dressed in vividly-colored traditional Guatemalan attire and arrive in a pouch of handwoven cotton fabric.

Crafted by members of the Lopez Garcia Family of Guatemala, this set of six quitapenas dolls makes a wonderful gift for friends or family that tells the recipient you care about their well-being and wish them the best. Quitapenas means "to remove worries" in Spanish; artisan Aura Lopez explains the Mayan worry doll tradition. "My grandparents said that the way to use them was to take the doll out of the bag or wooden box and tell it your problems and fears," she states. "Then, you place the doll under your pillow and, the next day, your problem becomes smaller or can be resolved." The set consists of three male and three female worry dolls each clasping a red heart to his or her chest and comes with a pouch made from loom-woven cotton. Handmade using tule wood, polyurethane, nylon stockings, kraft paper, and 100% cotton fabric, the dolls are dressed in vividly-colored traditional Guatemalan attire.

Tri Hita Karana is a Balinese philosophy that translates into "three causes of well-being" for achieving harmony in the world, which artisans from the Subrata Family in Indonesia depict in an exquisitely hand-carved and hand-painted relief panel made from local suar wood. The first cause of Tri Hita Karana is the relationship between man and God, the second is the relationship between human beings, and the third is the relationship between men and nature, all of them recreated in the panel with the most remarkable craftsmanship. "If we have created peace in our hearts, our life will be calmer and more patient to accept everything that happens. In peace, we must be brave," say the artisans.

"We start a relationship with God, to achieve patience and constancy, to accept everything and be blessed. Braid that relationship with mankind, to develop friendship and love for each other. Braid that to our relationship with the natural environment, to preserve the cleanliness and beauty of the universe. So will peace be created. If everything is created with peace, the world will not have more war, violence, or conflict among our countries, and we will all truly prosper.”

Challenge your brain with this sleek and fun backgammon set designed by Ashish Mehta. Designed with acacia and Indian elm woods, a smooth rectangular box opens to reveal an expertly hand-carved board that will definitely stand out from the rest of the boards in your family's game room. With each well-crafted piece and the box's green velvet lining, this set is a lovely addition to your home decor in addition to being an enjoyable game to reach for during your leisure time.

"This is my impression of achieving world peace; namely the combination of Dialogue, Inclusivity and Unity. Dialogue happens when two or more people take part in a conversation or discussion to resolve a problem. Inclusivity brings in practice, policy or systems of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those with physical or mental disabilities, or belonging to other minority groups to be able to function well without hindrance. When policies are in place for people to function well in society, it brings togetherness, because each and everyone is able to bring out their potential for the achievement of a common goal. This brings unity among people. Unity is being together or at one with someone or something. Unity brings togetherness or oneness and when these happen, the world can achieve peace. An example is the European Union and the African Union," says Nyasafo of his inspiration for this original artwork.

Working with sese wood native to West Africa, Christopher Nyasafo carves this sculpture using hand tools at his Eastern Ghana workshop where he develops new crafting techniques and experiments with innovative designs together with aspiring members of his community. Nyasafo hopes to inspire the next generation to learn from each other through conversation and cooperation so that they avoid successive fragmentation that had divided so many in recent times. Depicted in this sculpture are three hand-painted community members who represent each of Nyasafo's tools for achieving world peace.

Revived by the refreshing waters from a nearby river, this woman cleanses her body and spirit with sensuous abandon. Her images is magnificently hand-carved from suar wood by Wayan Rendah who coaxes the wood into a being of graceful beauty. Delicately detailed her image is enhanced by the woods natural appeal. Rendah is inspired by Balinese tradition, where people bathe twice a day for spiritual as well as hygienic reasons - preferably in rivers, which are believed to be sacred.

Due to the natural origin of the material and the handcrafted process involved, there may be slight variations in the wood’s grain as well as dimensions.

This charming alebrije sculpture is the original creation of Mexico's Pablo and Lucy Mendez. The perky chihuahua is carved by hand from copal wood before being painted in meticulous detail. Suns, stars, spirals and fretwork in blue, violets and turquoise shades cover the sculpture.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930's in Mexico City. A man named Pedro Linares was taken ill, and in his fevered dreams he saw a strange land populated with curious creatures--a donkey with wings, a rooster with bull's horns, and a lion with the head of a dog. The beasts all ran at him, shouting "alebrije! alebrije!". Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache.

This delightful alebrije sculpture is the original creation of Mexico's Pablo and Lucy Mendez. The perky chihuahua is carved by hand from copal wood before being painted in meticulous detail. Suns, stars, spirals and fretwork in an array of colors cover the sculpture.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930's in Mexico City. A man named Pedro Linares was taken ill, and in his fevered dreams he saw a strange land populated with curious creatures--a donkey with wings, a rooster with bull's horns, and a lion with the head of a dog. The beasts all ran at him, shouting "alebrije! alebrije!". Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache.