Obakki’s New Collection of Handcrafted Bowls and Spoons Reveals the Beauty of Slow Design
Carved by master craftsman Amadou in Mali, Africa, these small-batch goods make use of discarded redwood and blackwood.
Carved by master craftsman Amadou in Mali, Africa, these small-batch goods make use of discarded redwood and blackwood.
While redwood has long been a coveted material for its durability and striking beauty, efforts to expand global access to more exotic forms of the species have intensified in recent decades. In Africa, redwood forests have been devastated by commercial logging, not only damaging natural ecosystems but the livelihood of local craftspeople as well.
Obakki, a purpose-led brand of handcrafted homewares and lifestyle products, is bringing awareness to the issue with a new collection of wooden bowls and spoons—each carved using the remnants of left-behind timber from deforested areas—in order to emphasize the more sustainable, generational practices of small-scale artisans.
A member of the Dogon tribe in Mali, Africa, master craftsman Amadou has been carving with African timber since he was eight years old. The current rate of deforestation in the local community is undermining his long-held tradition.
Photo courtesy of Obakki
Treana Peake, founder of Obakki and seen here with Amadou, partners with traditional artisans and rural co-ops to create unique, handcrafted goods in small quantities.
Photo courtesy of Obakki
Since 2005, Obakki and founder Treana Peake have worked with craftspeople around the world—from Mexico to Japan—in order to create small-batch, heirloom-worthy products. One of the company's most recent partnerships is with Amadou, a wood-carver in Mali, who spends up to four days turning small pieces of African redwood and African blackwood into a beautiful, hand-finished bowl or spoon.
African blackwood is particularly sought after to create musical instruments, such as clarinets or guitars, but unsustainable logging efforts now support mass-manufactured flooring as well.
Photo courtesy of Obakki
See the full story on Dwell.com: Obakki’s New Collection of Handcrafted Bowls and Spoons Reveals the Beauty of Slow Design
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