Hello and welcome
I’m Tapiwa Matsinde, a Storyteller & Connector
Championing contemporay craft, I write, curate, and mentor to connect artisan businesses, especially those from Africa with cultural institutions around the world.
What I do
Living in London, I am a cultural connector who passionately bridges diverse cultures within the creative sphere by using curation and storytelling to link makers and artisan businesses with cultural institutions. My work highlights the role craftsmanship has in design, seeking to bring to the fore those artisan names we don’t often hear about. In 2010, I founded atelier 55, an award-winning digital platform fostering global recognition for African crafters and designers.
A prolific creator of written content, I blog, write articles, and authored the groundbreaking book Contemporary Design Africa. I am also a contributor to the Homo Faber Guide. In the auditory realm, I host the ‘Behind The Design’ podcast, amplifying voices in African design. Leveraging two decades of premium and luxury brand industry experience, I also mentor artisan businesses, helping them to enhance their visibility, and have conducted workshops for notable organisations like Cockpit. I have served as a mentor on the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women programme.
I am a
Craft & Design Curator
Independent curator of contemporary collectible global design and craft, with special knowledge of makers from Africa.
Storyteller & Legacy Maker
Writing books, and articles for publications interested in craft, diversity in design, and artisan businesses.
Artisan Business Mentor
Showing designers, makers and artisan businesses how to elevate and increase the visibility of their craft business.
The MISSION
This consultancy exists to amplify the visibility of established and emerging artisan businesses, particularly from Africa and to celebrate excellence and creativity in contemporary collectible craftsmanship by going behind the scenes to tell the stories of the artisans, makers, designers, and their work.
Values
This is a consultancy built on the foundations of…
ENCOURAGING EXCELLENCE
Striving to be the best at what we do and encourage others to do the same, by taking care and giving attention to detail in all areas of our work, and honouring the principles of ‘true luxury‘*.
CREATING CONNECTIONS
Understanding the power connections have in leading to collaboration and life-changing opportunities, and seeking to bring people together for the mutual benefit of individuals and communities.
LEADING FROM KINDNESS
Integrity matters to us, we have a people-first approach by recognising and respecting the people behind their work, listening and cultivating a spirit of generosity by sharing our time, gifts and what we know with others.
MAKING AN IMPACT
We recognise that every decision we make will impact someone, so we strive to ensure our impact is positive, in turn empowering others with the ability to show up and create an impact with their work.
BEING CURIOUS
We seek to know the who, why and how behind the craft we champion, and our business depends on what we know and can teach, so we are lifelong learners, researching information, exploring ideas, and learning from experiences to deliver the best we can.
*I believe in the principles of true luxury – a standard of luxury that is not defined solely by price, but rather by the ‘money can’t buy’ attributes of honouring time, skills, people, experiences, and emotional connections, in doing so recognising craftsmanship and the artisan lie at the heart of exceptional collectible craft.