::: The World Through Art - artists Caroline Monda-Dartey discusses online marketing of ethnic art - Interview

GoodLetter, Feb 7, 2002

Why do we jump to the conclusion that an increasingly global economy has to lack humanity? This week, we talk to an African artist whose beautiful jewelry designs and vivid personal story are now reaching people all over the world, thanks to a company committed to using the World Wide Web to put the heart back in business.

Dear GoodLetter readers,

Everyday, the world seems to get smaller and smaller. We've all experienced how unsettling its smallness can seem. But the more people from different places and different cultures come to understand each other, the stronger and more cohesive the global community becomes. At GoodThings we try to foster that understanding, and it's one of the things we work hard to celebrate in the GoodLetter. We like to think that sharing positive and constructive actions and ideas with each other should be as global as anything there is.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Caroline Monda-Dartey, an artist from Ghana in West Africa. A 35-year-old jewelry designer, Caroline is part of an ever-expanding network of over 1,700 artists worldwide whose work appears on the Web site, NOVICA.com. In partnership with National Geographic, NOVICA is an online global marketplace that makes it easier for people all over the world to enjoy the work of talented artists like Caroline. During her recent trip to the US, we spoke with Caroline about why NOVICA is a good thing, what it's like to have customers in every corner of the planet, and why she's passionate about her art. It was wonderful to hear Caroline talk about her love for what she does and the way she balances her life. Hers is one of the many inspiring voices that make our shared world such an enriching place.

~~~~~~~

GoodThings (GTS): What kind of art do you design and create?

Caroline Monda-Dartey (CMD): "I use locally produced beads made from different recycled materials to design necklaces, earrings, bracelets, beaded bands, and candle-holders."

GTS: Why do you do what you do? Describe the passion you have for your art.

CMD: "It just makes me really happy to create things that people appreciate. People don't really know a lot about African art -- you actually realize that you are educating people. The fact that you are creating and people are appreciating -- people understand more about your culture and where you're from and the tradition of your people. You're doing a service -- it's good to know you're helping keep it alive."

GTS: Tell us something about the beads you use.

CMD: "To make the beads, artisans crush glass, bake them, and they take them out. They're like ceramic beads. They'll have put cassava sticks in each one of them so when it burns out, the hole is left. It's really labor-intensive. They work in groups with a master craftsperson and polish the beads for us."

"I also use bauxite and bronze beads. The bead-makers use something called the 'lost wax' method. They make the original design from beeswax, and they put it in a clay container. It is an age-old tradition you also find in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, and Nigeria. Chieftains and queen mothers in Ghana wear webs of these beads. Traditionally, more powerful chiefs had the original designs in pure gold. They're typically Ghanaian beads."

"I also use old beads called 'trade beads.' They were brought from Europe to Africa in the 16th century and used in trade. European traders gave them to African traders for palm oil and different things they needed. They even used them to buy slaves. There's a whole history about that. You get a whole lot of those beads in Ghana."

GTS: Sounds really interesting. Seems like beads are a big deal in Ghana.

CMD: "There's a whole trade in beads happening on the west coast of Africa. There are actually itinerant traders who just live off of trading beads so it's a really big industry. The ones who can afford it go from town to town. They take Ghanaian beads and take them to different cities. In Accra, you can get beads from as far as the Gambia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Dakar, Mali, and even Kenya."

GTS: What do you like about selling your art through NOVICA's Web site?

CMD: "NOVICA is good because most artists either can't afford or don't have the time to get a Web site up and running. it's always better to have somebody else help you. I heard what they were doing, and I approached them in Accra. They took photographs of our work and put them online. It works very well."

GTS: What kind of feedback do you hear from people who have bought your art through NOVICA? Do you think NOVICA has a way of making the world feel smaller?

CMD: "I get good feedback from people who are excited and like the fact that each bead is made by hand from natural materials. And they like being able to read my story and read about my art. They can see artists from Brazil, from Ghana, from India -- all creative people, and because of NOVICA, people can see what they're doing. It puts a face to the art."

GTS: Clearly, the Internet is helping you make a living. How else is technology improving people's lives in Ghana?