Jeu !


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On the 26th May 2015, I took the first steps of a journey to the cultural melting pot which is Mindelo, Sao Vicente. Cape Verdeans are rightly very proud of their musical and arts & crafts heritage; and on that first visit I came across, serendipitously one might say, the beginnings of a revival or restoration of the status of arts and crafts, taking place on the island. The CNAD - Centro Nacional de Artesano e Design was at the forefront, and I was fortunate and privileged to meet with the then newly appointed Director and visionary Irlando Jorge Delgao Ferreira, and the Head of the Arts and Crafts school Joao Fortes, himself an artist and weaver among many other skills. As you might suspect, multi-disciplines is something common to most creatives !

They took me on a tour that at one point moved me to tears with the range and beauty of work on display, with some tucked away in a private studio! I found an Aladdin's cave of crafts - many of which I've always had an interest in, and pursued myself as a hobby; so there will more on that (with photos) in another post !

Back to that first day when I took a leisurely stroll heading out of the town centre and discovered 2 eye-catching landmarks . The jewel that is Laginha beach is reclaimed, and has artificial sand which gleams white against the bluest sea I've ever seen ! It also boasts spectacular sunsets in the horizon!

Next, the tiny uninhabited island , Ilhéu dos Pássaros, with it's distinct shape, sitting in a sea of blue, and tantalizingly close to the shore. "Jeu" as it is commonly known has an old lighthouse, with steps gleaming off-white against the grey granite of the main island, and snaking up one side of the peak to the tip against the backdrop of the blue skyline. I gave it rather unflattering nickname at first, because of its shape (we shall say no more) - before quickly coming to appreciate the wonder that it is.


Together they provided me with an inspiring palette of colours and textures on which I based some of my jewellery work when I returned home. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking - enjoy !


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Can you see the Sea ?

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