WWW.CARTHAGEHANDCRAFT
Tunisian American Chamber of Commerce
CARTHAGE
HANDCRAFT R
WWW.CARTHAGEHANDCRAFT.COM
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arthage, the legend city, sitting in the middle of Mediterranean Sea, means the New City in Phoenician! From the origin to now, thru Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine and Arab civilizations, Carthage always granted its people the inspiration to create the new city’s objects. The colors, the outline, the material that are coming out of the Tunisian and Carthaginian artists convey the object thru a lot of emotion to be delivered as a typical handmade art craft. The Tunisian American Chamber of Commerce through its slogan business through friendship is proud to assist once more a group of performers to have a better worldwide exposure to a community that will surely appreciate the details of the products that are exposed. The objects, the selected artists, are just a taste of a whole community of Tunisian craftsman and women that are as creative to bring the finesse of their products to the international world. Missions as Carthage Handcraft Ž will be recurring and hope that it will also attract the most curious of you to discover a peaceful country with a high quality of living, the kindness of its people, the beauty of its coast, the hilly forests and the splendor of its desert. Come and join these dedicated artists in their daily journeys around their workshops.
mmar A n e B Nazeh
Nazeh BEN AMMAR President Tunisian American Chamber of Commerce
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‘We thank our sponsors and partners’
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t was such a pleasure to curate this event. collaborating with the tunisian american chamber of commerce (tacc) and famex has been truly inspiring. these twelve artisans were selected for their commitment to quality and their passion for creating a wide variety of innovative products that continue a living culture. each of their unique products, though thoroughly contemporary, has references that recall the varied and ancient heritage that is tunisia. our mission at carpenter + company is to produce global style crafted with heart, and these artisans are to be commended for their commitment to preserving their cultural heritage while celebrating their own unique craft and creativity. PATTI Y. CARPENTER
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ear visitors, I am proud to present this exceptional exhibition, which brings together the best talent in our Tunisian craft; artists who have reinvented and modernized the basics of our craft into exceptional products. I have worked my whole life promoting the image and pride of Tunisia outside our borders. 5 We live in a country that has so much to offer. We must give our Tunisian craftsmen and women a more prestigious image, which enhances the quality of our national output. Tunisia; a country at the crossroads of civilizations and a people from a unique cultural mix, deserves your attention. The products displayed here are proof of that wealth. Open your eyes around you, Carthage Handcraft is exposed! Ibticem kamoun
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mina ben miled
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ina is an architect and is passionate about handicraft because she always loved making objects. She created the company Etandart in 1993 to produce
the furniture, lighting, and carpets needed for the decoration of her architectural projects. At that time there was very little choice in Tunis. Her ambition is to explore all the possibilities that offer local craftsmen the ability to create modern and useful products. Materials and methods are traditional, but not the forms and functions. For example, stone lamps are sculpted by hand, wool fabrics are woven on ancient looms, and iron candle chandeliers are hammered by hand, as are copper and tin plates. The objects Mina sells are designed, marketed and distributed by her company but made in the workshops of independent craftspeople.
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ATF SOMAI
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tf’s inspiration in her jewelry creation comes from the combination of passion and observation. Her passion for the art of creation
showed itself at an early age, as well as a fascination for jewelry. She learned the basics by apprenticing in many craftsmen’s workshops, not only to achieve shapes, but also a unique expression to a brooch, a necklace or earrings. Atf’s products are a testimonial to her keen eye and to the use of a large number of traditional symbols collected in urban, rural and marine environments and transposed onto silver jewels.
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Caravan serail
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aravan Serail is a designer workshop of fashion accessories inspired by the Tunisian craft heritage. Our natural fibers combined with
various materials are all pretexts for the creation of contemporary accessories, heirs to an ancestral know-how. Our basketry is worked directly with the craftsman. We combine wool, leather, and hammered copper with the raw material of natural fibers such as reeds or palm leaves. There are a variety of basket shapes and sizes. Our workshop then decorates each product with different materials: copper handles or trims and hand made tassels and beads. All the finishes are done in our workshop to insure the highest quality.
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Dora Mselmeni
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ue to her environment in a family where art was important, Dorra always loved painting, art works and building things with her own
hands. She has participated in several international fairs and exhibitions. Dorra’s aim is to evidence her Tunisian heritage in her work while maintaining a traditional inspiration through her creative shapes, colors and techniques.
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Fatma ben abdallah
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atma, is a Tunisian dress designer faithful to traditional Tunisian embroidery. Her work offers a portrait of modern Tunisia through
its traditional knowledge, where each region has its own skills and techniques. She works in fabrics such as silk and muslin, and utilizes hand embroidery with symbolic geometric or floral forms. Fatma manufactures dresses between tradition and modernity. She creates a collection linking past and present.
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Sponsor
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ichraf hichri skandaji
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atience and passion are the words that best describe Hicheri’s approach to her personal work with vegetal fibers and ceramics from
Cap Bon in Tunisia. After rediscovering Nabeul’s ceramics with patterns inspired by nature and Andalusian influences, she has used them in her work on both ceramics and other materials such as woven cane and saw palmetto fibers. She mixes ceramics with weaving techniques and transforms the function of old items to create new ones. A saw palmetto fiber fan becomes wall art or floor mats, while ceramic cylinders become lighting.
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leila turki
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rained as an architect, for several years Leila Turki has developed and promoted a specific Tunisian aesthetic and the Mediterranean
know-how to adapt them for a contemporary creativity. She has exhibited several times at UNESCO, and was able to develop her project with support from UNESCO. For this exhibition she presents new collections of silver jewelry made by Tunisian craftsmen utilizing ancestral techniques to create simple, original and modern jewelry. This artisanal work focuses on meeting the criteria of sustainable development and respect for the environment.
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mohamed messaoudi
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ohamed Messaoudi, a passionate promoter of art, history and antiques, founded a workshop for research, training and creation of
artwork & crafts ...Atelier Driba. AD 93 is specialized in decoration, design and production of original pieces from traditional inspiration using recycled materials combined with wood, weaving, basketry, wrought iron, ceramics, and marble.
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Wissem Hammami Nabli
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Upon receiving her Master’s Degree in visual arts from the School of Fine Arts in 2001, Wissam founded her own studio under the
name of «ROUMOUZ» meaning «signs» in Arabic. Her works are distinguished by her passion for mixing craft and modern ceramics. Utilzing the iconic fish, a protective sign in Tunisia, she has represented it in her collection since 2007. She has participated in several national competitions, where she received awards, and several international exhibitions. Exhibiting in the highly publicized TRAMP gallery in the “Marais” in Paris in January 2007, Wissam’s work was featured in the «Coté Sud» magazine.
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Mohamed Njah
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orn in Sfax in 1948, and having attended the School of Fine Arts in Tunis, Mohamed developed a passion for weaving very early. He has
collected the heritage of Tunisian weaving and reinvented it. His style is surprisingly modern, but digs deeply into his heritage to provide a local language in his work and a universal originality. Mohamed Njeh has raised the art of carpetry from its’ two-dimensional form to a sculptural work, combining shape and volume, while varying the textur and blending materials.
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foued ben said
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ith great experience and knowledge about olive wood, Ben Said is a master of this material which can be very difficult to work
with. The result is that every piece is unique due to the original shape of the piece of wood used to build it. Olive Wood is a very noble and respected material in Tunisia. It is an excellent material functional items as well as for decorative uses.
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Hajer harrabi
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ager discovered the work of olive wood from the French promoter Lucien M. Bermond. Today she offers a wide range of products and
specializes in the production of olive wood. All her products special attention, being followed for 2 years of drying which allows guaranteeing their quality. These products are now famous in France, Germany, Italy and Canada. The olive wood industry has exceeded her expectations and a hope, seeing her products going beyond the borders of Tunisia is a real achievement for her.
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continue your journey through www.carthagehandcraft.com
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WWW.CARTHAGEHAN
CARTHAGE
R
HANDCRAFT
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Sponsor
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Immeuble EAG, CitĂŠ les pins Lot 3.4.5 PB. 342 publiposte, 1054 Les berges du lac www.tunisianasiantravel.com
FAX + 216 71 967 761 TEL + 216 71 967 749 / 750 / 760 EMAIL contact@tunisianasiantravel.com
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Tunisian American Chamber of Commerce Adress : 10, Rue Ahmed Ben ali El Manar III - 2092 Tunis Phone : (+216) 71 883 226 | Fax : (+216) 71 889 880 | Site web : www.tacc.org.tn