Batik products are the center of attention at the Omba Gallery in Windhoek this month. Batik designer, Tom Kenesi, owner of the Indigenous Batik Design Company, is presenting an exhibition entitled Batik Bliss.
The presentation opened on 1 September and closes on 30 September.
Kenesi’s work is colorful, artistic and popular. The batik products are beautiful, yet functional and add character and colour to any art loving family home. All products are handmade from cotton fabric and are durable for both indoor and outdoor use. Items showcased at the exhibition include pillow cases, tablecloths, placemats and aprons.
At the exhibition, Zimbabwean-born Kenesi has launched his new collection of Chara batik and leather ladies’ handbags.
“In the Shona language, chara comes from a proverb meaning “one finger (chara) cannot crush and kill a flea,” the indigenous Batik artist said.
“In the Shona language, chara comes from a proverb meaning “one finger (chara) cannot crush and kill a flea,” the indigenous Batik artist said.
The co-owner of the Design Company and wife of the founder, Mercy Kenesi, said that her husband’s idea for the handbags came after he decided to make a special gift for his female customers.
“We decided on handbags because we noticed that women love handbags and would appreciate our product line,” she said. Items from the Chara line are available in a variety of colours including red, black, yellow and orange.
“We decided on handbags because we noticed that women love handbags and would appreciate our product line,” she said. Items from the Chara line are available in a variety of colours including red, black, yellow and orange.
Tom Kenesi, who is now in his early forties, has artistic and career experience in batiks spanning more than twenty years. The textile artist said that he started making batiks in 1996 when he did fabric design at the Peter Birch School of Art in Harare.
In an interview with the Windhoek Observer, Kenesi said that for his current company, he designs a wide range of hand-made batik fabric products which are sold to international and local clients.
He said that he imports plain cotton textiles from South Africa that he then uses to make the various batik products.
He said that he imports plain cotton textiles from South Africa that he then uses to make the various batik products.
Kenesi is currently living in Namibia and has employed four women in his company who help him design and paint the materials.
“I want to share what I love. People love things that are handmade. If one makes something with his/her own hands, people feel the passion coming from that product and those items are more appreciated than the thing which is made using machine,” he said.
Mrs Kenesi said one of the challenges that the handmade crafts industry is experiencing is that some potential clients complain that their items are too expensive. “People need to understand that we don’t mass produce. We don’t use machines; we use our hands. Working with your hands takes a lot of time. Just to make a pillow takes us two days. In production, time is money. The skills and personal touch we use to make our unique products is more than worth the price,” she said.
Speaking about how business is doing at the moment, Mercy Kenesi said that sales are down. “I think this is happening because of our economic crisis. But, we will still continue to do what we love.”
The Indigenous Batik Design Company has a small factory and a sales shop in Goreangab, Katutura where they make and sell their products. The batik making artist also does outdoor exhibitions every Saturday at the Green Market in Klein Windhoek.
For more information please visit their website www.tomkenesi.com.
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