At Beloved we do as our name suggests, we make beloved items of personal adornment, using hours of loving labour and perfectly formed, tiny pieces of glass.
We would love to tell you that our work is ‘high fashion’, or ‘modern art’, ‘traditional craft’, ‘exclusive’ or ‘accessible’, but the truth is it is all of those things and more. Beads are a wonderfully democratic medium, they appeal to people from every walk of life, and wearing them makes people feel simply beautiful.
We don’t think of our work as African craft, but rather human craft. A love of beads is a universal phenomenon, devoid of ethnic divisions. For true beaders, the ability to bead comes from within. It is a deep mental ability to predict pattern and form, to weave a bead whilst thinking six beads ahead.
Founded in 2009, our company of twelve women is committed to the preservation and elaboration of the beadwork tradition. We also have a keen interest in economic justice, which is why we will be moving to a system of Common Ownership over the next year.
Take a look at our catalogue to learn more about us. And why not make friends with us on Facebook and Twitter?
With love from your Beloved. x
