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After 8 years of trading, we have now closed. We have had fun over the years, sourcing interesting, fairly-produced goodies, and bringing them to New Zealand for you to share. We have enjoyed being able to support artisans and their families in developing countries, together with our NZ charity partners.
However, Covid has changed things for everyone, and we now find we are unable to continue trading. In the last 2 years it has been difficult to purchase goods of acceptable quality and receive them in a timely manner, difficult (near impossible during lockdowns) to arrange shipping and manage the huge price increases, just to get goods to NZ.
SMOLArts Wholesale Soapstone - Kenya
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Wholesale Soapstone is mined from great pits in the area surrounding Kiisi, Kenya. The mined soapstone is then delivered to carvers who carve sculptures from the natural stone for the wholesale market, the color of which ranges from cream, to pink, to brown, to yellow, to black, to a marbling of all of them. Once carved, the craftspeople smooth rough edges of the soapstone with sandpaper dipped in water and polish the piece to a high gloss or paint African motifs in brilliant colors with etched accents. Soapstone, while very heavy, is very fragile. It is a form of talc, so standing water will affect the carvings. The paint used may also run if subjected to standing water. Light polish keeps it shiny. Chips can be smoothed with water and light grade sandpaper. With proper care, soapstone items will last generations. |
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Our Wholesale Soapstone is carved by the artists of SMOLArt a group of artists who live in the rural village of Tabaka, Kenya, the heart of soapstone crafts. The name, a shortened version of Small, Medium, and Large Artists, refers to the size of the wholesale soapstone products the artisans make, not their stature. Established in 1990, SMOLArt is a member of the WFTO, and as such assures that the artisans are paid a fair price for their work. In addition, the organization support community development by contributing to projects that improve living conditions, education, and health of their members and the village at large.
