Faith Baloyi, intellectual, writer and jewellery designer, has taken a new approach to showing Africa in a positive light – not through politics or campaigning, but through her jewellery.
“The originators of the [La Négritude] movement’s whole manifesto was trying to put a positive charge to the African perception and the interpretation of Africa by the rest of the world because prior to that, Africa was associated with dark and fear of the unknown,” Baloyi explained.
Having completed a Master of Arts Degree at Wits, Baloyi was no stranger to telling stories and communicating with people, and it was later that she decided to communicate her message through other means.
“I started communicating stylistically – I started telling stories through style,” Baloyi said.
“If you simplify the whole [La Négritude] philosophy, you’ll see that it’s about self-love and that’s what my pieces are about.”
In order to create her pieces, Baloyi looks for antique-looking brass amulets from traders from around the country and creates Afrocentric-looking pieces.
“I’m using… designs that have been on the continent forever – pieces that have been archived,” she said.
“Sometimes I get customers who say ‘oh that piece is from Zanzibar’ and you learn from people who buy from you. So I’m always learning, so it’s literally about exhuming history and celebrating it. Negritude is kind of a meeting point of all these different influences from around the continent.”
While she may not know what to do with the amulets she collects at first, she always develops a vision, with a visible African influence, of how she wants her next design to look.
Baloyi trades at various markets including Arts on Main and retails her jewellery at an international art store in Maboneng called Art Afrique.
Details: 011 326 6700; Faith Baloyi on Facebook
