Art and products
Maroon textile art and products from the rainforest
Maroon art and cultural textile are core activities of Afu-Mena Guyane. Alongside them, Afu-Mena Superfoods, active since October 2015, supplies products from the Surinamese rainforest.
Maroon textile art
Preserving heritage and giving it value
Maroon art and cultural textile come from the tembe tradition: a language of forms built from interlocking lines, curves and angular symmetry, passed on from generation to generation.
Through this branch the group preserves and valorises Maroon heritage, while creating economic opportunity for local artisans and creators.
Why this branch
Culture that works commercially
Heritage preservation
Craftsmanship survives because it is used and valued.
Valorisation
The work gains a market and with it a visible value.
Economic opportunity
Local artisans and creators gain an outlet for their work.
Identity
A language of forms that sets the group apart in international conversations.
Heritage and communities
The name comes from Pamaka, the craft reaches wider
The name Afu-Mena comes from Pamaka. The work in this branch reaches wider: we promote Saamaka and Businenge heritage internationally and support local artisans in doing so.
We speak for ourselves and for the makers we work with, not for communities or traditions as a whole.
The range
What we make and supply
From traditional textile to contemporary creations, made within the same language of forms.
Pangis
The woven and worked cloth at the heart of the Maroon textile tradition.
Traditional clothing
Clothing made within the Maroon tradition.
Tablecloths
Tablecloths carrying motifs from the tembe language of forms.
Sheets
Sheets in the same tradition of pattern and colour.
Hammocks
Hammocks from the craft of the region.
Decorative accessories
Accessories for the home and interior.
Contemporary textile creations
New work continuing the tradition in a contemporary form.
Afu-Mena Superfoods
Products from the rainforest, since October 2015
Afu-Mena Superfoods has been active since October 2015 as a business unit of Afu-Mena NV and works with products from the Surinamese rainforest.
What sets these products apart is not the price, but origin, culture and careful harvesting.
Origin
We know where a product comes from and who worked on it.
Culture
The use and meaning of a product belong to the product itself.
Sustainable harvesting
Harvesting happens in a way that leaves the area intact.
We deliberately name no product names or prices here. The range is agreed per request.
Ordering and business supply
Orders run through direct contact
Orders and business supply currently run through direct contact. Tell us what you are interested in and in which quantities, and we will look at what is possible and available at that moment.
Art and products
Culture that works commercially
For cultural collaboration, export or business supply we are open to a conversation.