Artisanal Housewares (New York Times)

Artisanal Housewares By Rima Suqi (NY Times)
Published: October 9, 2013

Conscientious shoppers may prefer to buy socially responsible design — objects produced in a way that promotes the well-being of the artisans in Third World countries who make them — but the products have not always been easy to find or sophisticated enough to satisfy the tastes of some consumers. In recent years, however, that has begun to change, as collaborations between designers and artisans have flourished.

Sharon Davis, an architect who designed a women’s center in Rwanda that was recently honored at the World Architecture Festival, travels frequently to Africa on business and has been impressed by what she has seen.

“I met the people who run Indego Africa,” said Ms. Davis, 52, referring to the nonprofit group that helps Rwandan women export their products. “And they mentioned they were working on a line with Jonathan Adler. I love the idea that designers like him are getting involved.”

In fact, Mr. Adler has been involved for a while. He began collaborating with the international nonprofit organization Aid to Artisans in 1997, and since then has produced many of his ceramics in Peru. Ms. Davis pointed to his Giant Weight vase as one example of what an artisan-designer collaboration can produce.