OUR STORY
The Makonde people traditionnaly lived in southeastern Tanzania and northern Mozambique. This is a matrilineal society where children and inheritances belong to women, and husbands move into the village of their wives. Rites of passage are still spread, in particular those concerning the circumcision, who give rise to big parties during which go out masks, bound to the cult of the ancestors. So, the Makonde are known for their wooden sculptures at the international level, in particular certain collections of works of the 1960s. The gratitude for their art appeared largely thanks to the tourism.
Some lower-quality craft productions (black dye in the shoe polish instad of real blackwood, for example) are now produced by other ethnic groups. This is how some Maknde artists, while drawing from the mythology of their people, knew how to renew their art and integrate the vast current of the African contemporary art.
Our group started in 1992 with a few people only. It resulted from the common desire to expand the capacity of existing and producing our art. We also want to work together for improving the tourism in Bagamoyo. That's why our group is now joined by private experimented tourist guides who welcome all the visitors.
Now it's about twenty people who comes everyday to work together, joined by our three private tourist guides. Of course, since its creation,other tribs added to our group, like the Kwele tribe from Bagamoyo region and also some Chaga, from Kilimandjaro region. This cultural melting pot contributes a lot to impove our work.
