wood art

Designed by Ghanaian artisan Akwele Suma, these dangle earrings make for an eco-friendly accessory wherever they go. She weaves recycled paper into colorful square shapes, alongside sese wood and recycled plastic to dangle from brass hooks.

The artist uses the paper at hand so paper colors will vary, making each design a unique example of handcrafted art. These beads receive a protective coat of clear nail polish.

White rabbits chase glowing orange deer around an exquisite nierika, or votive beadwork composition by Kupihaute, which takes the shape of a flower with five wide petals.

The artisan, who writes fluently in the Huichol, Nahuatl, Spanish and English languages, talks about this work in his own words. "This nierika/mirror represents the duality of our existence. The rabbit symbolizes the permanent movement of earthiness reflected in the lunar mirror. The deer is the spirit that animates the movement of our wise memory, marking the spiral path of our ancestral cultures in permanent transformation and adaptation around the peyote-maize." The artist has created the word "eARThiness" to emphasize the word "art" found inside "earth." "For me, this eARThiness is very important and meaningful."

The intricate images are formed with tiny seed beads. Kupihuate patiently places them one at a time with a needle made of abalone shell onto a huanacaxtle wood backing. Beeswax is used instead of glue.

The process is totally spontaneous, with no previous sketch or design. It is guided by the artist's unconscious to tell the stories that remain in our collective ancestral memory. He signs his work with the symbol of a butterfly on the reverse side of the nierika.

Designed Akwele Suma, these Ghanaian dangle earrings make for an eco-friendly accessory wherever they go. She weaves recycled paper into two stacks below beads of sese wood and recycled plastic that swing below brass hooks. The earrings are named Pampam, a Ga word that translates to "store on a head."

The artist uses the paper at hand so paper colors will vary, making each design a unique example of handcrafted art. These beads receive a protective coat of clear nail polish.

Handcrafted of recycled paper, two squares form a good-natured pair of dangle earrings. Ghanaian artisan Akwele Suma designs the earrings, adding petite beads of sese wood and recycled plastic to dangle from brass hooks.

The artist uses the paper at hand so paper colors will vary, making each design a unique example of handcrafted art. These beads receive a protective clearcoat for durability.

Ceramic meets mango wood in this spirited wall accent that captures the mischievous energy of monkeys through brilliant beadwork and clever design. Created by Indian artisan Savini, the cotton string foundation supports a rainbow of hues that brighten any room while the dangling tassel at the bottom creates a gentle motion that catches the eye.

Formed of three blue peyote buds, a lighted candle is radiant in this exquisite nierika, or votive beadwork painting by Kupihaute. A butterfly alights on either side in his composition, which takes the shape of a flower with five wide petals.

The artisan, who writes fluently in the Huichol, Nahuatl, Spanish and English languages, talks about this work in his own words. "The nierika is a mirror that is offered to the sea together with the first corn that has been harvested, in order to renew the cycle of rains that will give life to the next crop cycle. As in most of the ancient cultures of our planet, the candle represents our trajectory between being born and returning. For this reason, even today, during the celebration of our birthday, it is customary to light and blow out as many candles as solar cycles have elapsed. The butterflies and spirals are indicating that existence is energy in permanent transformation between arising from and returning to earth."

The intricate images are formed with tiny seed beads. Kupihuate patiently places them one at a time with a needle made of abalone shell onto a huanacaxtle wood backing. Beeswax is used instead of glue.

The process is totally spontaneous, with no previous sketch or design. It is guided by the artist's unconscious to tell the stories that remain in our collective ancestral memory. He signs his work with the symbol of a butterfly on the reverse side of the nierika.

A myriad shades of blue conjure a cool and soothing universe in this elegant nierika, or votive beadwork painting by Kupihaute. Scorpions scuttle purposefully around the center of the composition, which takes the shape of a flower with five wide petals.

The artist, who writes fluently in the Huichol, Nahuatl and English languages, talks about this work in his own words. "From the focal center of the nierika, the precious flower arises in spiral movement as the culminating expression of the deepest roots. The blossom is keeping in its entrails the seed that will disseminate the power of creative energy. This is symbolized by the scorpions that, in their wonderful body symmetry, show the essence of the power itself, since any imbalance in its mating dance, any missing the target, will cause its own poisoning and thus its own death. Therefore the symbol of cosmos, of order is shown in their mouths and the tails."

The intricate images are formed with tiny seed beads. Kupihuate patiently places them one at a time with a needle made of abalone shell onto a huanacaxtle wood backing. Beeswax is used instead of glue.

The process is totally spontaneous, with no previous sketch or design. It is guided by the artist's unconscious to tell the stories that remain in our collective ancestral memory. He signs his work with the symbol of a butterfly on the reverse side of the nierika.

Designed by Ghanaian artisan Akwele Suma, these dangle earrings make for an eco-friendly accessory wherever they go. She rolls recycled paper into small cylinders, beaded alongside sese wood and recycled plastic to dangle from brass hooks.

The artist uses the paper at hand so paper colors will vary, making each design a unique example of handcrafted art. These beads receive a protective coat of clear nail polish.

Akwele Suma uses recycled plastic strips, coiling them to form this majestic pair of dangle earrings. The earrings dangle from brass hooks, accentuated with petite beads of sese wood that dangle below. The Ghanaian artisan names them Abladei, meaning "Royals" in the Ga language.

The artist uses the paper at hand so paper colors will vary, making each design a unique example of handcrafted art. These beads receive a protective coat of clear nail polish.

This set of four holiday ornaments will bring the magic of butterflies in flight to your holiday tree. Presented by Arti Sharma of India, these hand crafted ornaments feature a cheerful orange, pink and yellow butterfly surrounded by colorful beads. Flowing tassels of cotton thread, each a different vibrant color, dance beneath each butterfly.

Inspired by the ideologies of people like Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King, Jr., Ghanaian artisan Akwele Suma hand-crafts a lovely beaded pendant necklace recreating nature, animals and humans living together in harmony as a symbol of justice and peace. A collection of lovely charms depicting people, trees, fish, elephants, birds, houses, the globe and a pendant of the scales of justice are handmade from recycled cardboard, detailed with ink, knotted onto a silk cord and topped with sese wood beads.

Equipped with an interior pocket and a zipper closure, this convenient accessory displays Thailand's exquisite arts in each of the details decorating its design. Kunlaya Pangsiri presents this cotton sling, accented with a comfortable red strap that gracefully complements that floral-patterned front. In addition, aluminum and plastic beads add a charming touch to the piece, while wood beads, bells and acrylic pompoms decorate each side.