Handmade in Egypt: Ceramics That Tell a Story
- infoafrohse
- Mar 30, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 1, 2024
This adventure has us exploring the talents of iconic, historical Egypt.
Internationally, Egypt is known for beautiful pyramids, deserts and rich vibrant culture. However, what rarely discussed is the centruy old pottery culture embedded in the country’s history as well.
In my conversation with Yassmin, the creative director of Abracadabra, we discussed the brand story, challenges, overall cultures and values which I believe will capture your attention as much as it did mine.
Hadithi
The brand was founded in 2018, and have a workshop based in old Cairo.
Abracadabra for the brand, it means “whatever we speak, we create” a phrase embedded in their company culture, products and aesthetic.
Yassmin pointed out that the origins of Egyptian pottery could be traced to Fustat the country’s capital for 500 years and a city renown for artisinal crafts and its curators.
According to her, this background was a vital component for the brand to locate their ideal artists, well versed in the older ways of pottery to recruit and train them to use modernized formula in their creations.
“We want to get artisinal people in heritage”
Passion for this rich history and the craft of curation forms the base of the brand’s strong sense of family within the team and, drive to provide them with a positive environment, exposure and constant need for modernization while maintaining historical practices.
I would describe the brand’s genre as high end artisinal pottery considering their clients include some of the largest hotel chains worldwide however, they also specialise in special home items and gift wear.
Despite their passion for creation, sustainability and their craft, Abracadabra still faces numerous challenges, some of which Yassmin highlighted.
Because a majority of the brands sales are in Egypt, she expressed their interest to sell retail in the international market and the challenge of distribution to customers interested in their products.
Abracadabra is one brand that blends tradition with modern practices by incorporating historical practices into their work while using the advancements of the modern world.
They’re vintage in practice, modern in product
To end this exhillerating post, I would like to issue a huge thanks to Yassmin for sharing this phenomenal brand story with me and for allwoing me to write about Abracadabra.
Besides having a really great brand story, they have beautiful products which you can check out by clicking one of the many links below and if you like what you see, show them some magic!
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