“The Stars in the Night Sky are Laughing in your Voice”

We’re excited to announce the launch of a new collection in our boutique! “The Star Catcher” collection is a set of necklaces, bracelets and key-chains designed and assembled by Canadian artist Funky Frog. Each item is unique and individually assembled from recycled glass, hand-decorated beads and brass from Ghana, where artist Anita Lowe sources all of her material. 

Anita has been travelling to Ghana’s expansive bead markets for 10 years to hand-select and design her vibrant collections. For her metals, she works directly with the metalsmiths of the Kokoform Cooperative in the city of Kumasi. Its artisans use an ancestral technique to create the unique brass silhouettes highlighted in this Star Catcher collection. The “Lost Wax Method” implies fashioning a desired shape out of beeswax, which is then packed in mud. When this mud-mould is heated, the wax melts and is replaced by melted metal, poured into the mould by the artisans. As everything is created by hand, no two Star Catchers are exactly alike!

Anita’s vision for the Star Catcher was to create a collection reminiscent of the night sky; every bead or chunk of glass echoing the planets, stars, and celestial bodies. She’s created this entire collection as a donation Pure Art Foundation’s day care centre in the Hub of Hope, that opened its doors this March. The day care, named Cuidador de la Luz (the Lightkeeper), was constructed in memory of Ben McKinnon. 

As a core member and filmmaker for the foundation, Ben passionately documented the stories and lives of the children living in the Hub of Hope’s periphery, hoping that words and images could raise awareness for the plight of these families.The Star Catcher collection is therefore an extension of this campaign and an extension of the work Ben was dedicated to.

Today we continue in stride with Ben’s passion, to continuously improve the livelihoods of the families of Manantay, Peru. 100% of proceeds from the sales of the Star Catcher collection will directly fund the day care and serve to provide games, materials, food and proper salaries for the centre’s staff. 

Come see which of these unique pieces will resonate with you. 

Available online and in store!

August 23, 2019 — Liam McKinnon