Village Artisinal

On June 6, our group stopped by Village Artisanal de Thiès, where local artisans make and sell their crafts. The village is in an older part of the city and is surrounded by large, beautiful trees. The village itself consists of several buildings, each housing shops and workspaces for multiple artisans. When our group arrived, we split up to explore and talk with the artisans.

Mira

There are several types of crafts one can find at the village. I (Mira) was particularly interested in the jewelry created at the village. One of the artisans invited me to his workshop to see his process of smithing silver rings. To create a ring, he heats strips of metal and bends them into elaborate knots, hearts, and baobab trees. The baobab is often seen as the symbol of Senegal. At the end of the process, he uses fire to clean and polish the silver. It takes him two days to complete a ring, but he also makes bracelets and other jewelry. He also showed me a necklace charm he created for himself commemorating the history of Gorée Island. I was amazed at his work and interested in his incorporation of Senegalese history and symbols into his art.

Axel

As Mira was getting an in-depth look at handmade jewelry, I (Axel) was in a different part of the village where I got into a conversation with a glass painter. He specialized in small acrylic work on the back side of glass. When the glass is flipped over, the picture has a smooth, glossy finish. He then went on to tell me that he turned a lot of the paintings into refrigerator magnets as that’s what sells well to tourists. This was a point where the intersection of artisanal work and tourism was very present.

Many other crafts are sold in the village besides jewelry and glass painting. Many of the artisans sold wooden carvings of lions, hippos, and other animals alongside their other creations. One woman we talked to weaves and dyes tapestries. For those wanting a new outfit, dresses and pants made of brightly-colored wax cloth were also available.

Amongst all these various artists and their crafts, there was a clear appreciation for art and culture with a focus on quality and craftsmanship. The passion, care, and knowledge of the artisans are clear in each piece of their work with strong connections to Senegal and traditional African culture throughout. I got the sense that this was not a gift shop but a culmination of people, ideas, and culture shared in a community.