Zulu Crafts
The Background of the Amangwe Zulu craft project
Amangwe Zulu Crafts has its origin in the artistry and social conscience of Corina Lemmer Wolmarans. Corina grew up on a farm in the Champagne Valley and because of her work in interior design, was drawn to the beauty and style of traditional Amangwe beadwork. In 1992, she returned to Winterton, intrigued by the beauty of Zulu craft.
Initally she encountered difficulty crossing cultural barriers in seeking the originators of the intricate diversity of beadwork characteristic of local Zulu craft. After many months of inquiry, a beader by the name of Ngoneni Khubeka came to her house and announced that she was one of the capable beaders in the area, willing to work with this white woman! Corina remembers being impressed with Ngoneni’s courage in coming to a stranger’s house and offering her services. The first products were items that fused beadwork with fabric to create cushion covers, window blinds, place mats and other household furnishings.
“The source of the beadwork became part of my own art”, she recalls. “I collaborated with Ngoneni, in particular, to generate a thematic series entitled ‘What Our Grandmothers Taught Us’. I wanted to reinforce the value of the beadwork, as a carrier of Zulu traditions. I wanted to help restore the dignity that had been ‘stolen’ by the apartheid policies.” Corina’s gentle voice carries the strength of conviction and the smile in her sensitive hazel eyes confirms she has experienced profound confirmation of a private, tremulous vision.
As more beaders came around to her home, attracted by the opportunity to sell their products, Corina responded to their growing eagerness and pride in their work by developing a line of jewelry, serviette rings, decorating accents, etc. A name and logo were chosen, a catalogue set up and a ‘sales bridge’ across cultures was developed. When Barbara Borgman, co founder of Ubuntu Partners, arrived in the area in 2002, however, the business had languished, almost lying dormant. Corina had transferred much of the vision to the new owners of Ardmore Guest Farm, encouraging a point of sale for the beadwork and training Sue Ross in aspects of beadwork. Further, Corina’s artistic career was climbing, her strengths did not lie in marketing and already the local market seemed to be saturated.
Barbara could envision an overseas market developing, immediately valued the beauty and work Corina had done in modifying traditional designs to appeal to a wider market and started helping Corina revive the business by seeking markets in US. In 2005, Corina felt she needed to withdraw from being so heavily involved in the ‘bead markets’, design and management of the growing business. She had major one-woman art show coming up that year at a prestigious museum. So Barbara took over the business, adopted the same logo and name, in loyalty to the growing group of beaders enjoying a small but steady income from their craft. The project moved from Winterton to Loskop, a location much closer to the beader’s homes.
Barbara Borgman reflects, “What has kept me going with this project is what attracted me to it in the first place: its cultural merit, the sheer beauty of design and challenge of developing new products based on traditional skills and patterns, and the merits of business as mission, providing an income for women heads of households in a time of HIV/AIDS pandemic.” She goes on to say, “Ubuntu Partners capitalized the growth of this business at the start of its resurgence, but now it appears to be self sufficient, thanks to the collaboration and initiative Roz Thomas ( volunteer from UK) brought to the project in 2006.”
Downloads
Please download the AZC catalogue based on where you live
Lungiles's Cards - see a variety of handmade cards which is a seperate business to AZC but run in conjunction. Read more about it by downloading the information below
Our bank account details:
- Standard Bank
- Account No: 164240519
- Account Name: Amangwe Zulu Crafts
- Branch Number: 2571
- Estcourt Branch
- SWIFT Address: SBZA ZA JJ