Meet Our
Artisans!
The people that make Dakar Bazaar possible.
Erasmus Ahorlu, JESClan
Accra, Ghana
Erasmus Ahorlu is a multi-faceted artisan and entrepreneur. As the owner of JESClan, a producer of a wide variety of woodcraft products, he employs dozens of craftspeople at his operations in Accra, Ghana. A certified woodworker in his own right, Erasmus has passed on his skills to his team to produce the stools, tables, bowls and other crafts you’ll find on this site.
Matilda Amisah, Matamiss Ceramics
Accra, Ghana
Matilda Amisah at Matamiss creates a wide range of decorative ceramics—vases, bowls, plates—that are distinctly Ghanaian. To be more specific, the product designs are often derived from tribal symbols—Ashanti, in particular-- that pre-date the country of Ghana by centuries. All of this creativity and artisanship is the result of the owner and founder, Ms. Matilda Amisah. She literally built this business from the ground up using the clay soil unearthed from the property where she operates Matamiss. At her operations in Accra she employs and develops artisans and workers in the molding, design, kilning and packaging and logistics of this robust organization.
Cornelius Annor, Painter
Accra, Ghana
Dakar Bazaar is privileged to present of Cornelius’ work. There are many very talented artists in Accra, Ghana but Cornelius’ work is singular in my opinion. He has terrific ability to capture people in everyday life. His work is often displayed in galleries across W. Africa and Europe. Beyond being an artist in his right, Cornelius is a mentor to many other aspiring young artists. In his Accra studio he just as likely to be found counseling the next generation of Ghanaian artists as he is producing his own wondrous work. It his sense of community that imbues his work and makes it such a pleasure for us to present his paintings. Dakar Bazaar looks forward to presenting more work from this up-and-coming artist.
Lassana Gassama, Painter
Dakar, Senegal
Upon entering his studio in the artist colony known as the Village des Artes, you can see that Lassana is a prolific artist. There seem to be thousands of faces peering at you from every angle of his studio. Yet each face possesses its own unique expression and character. He has an uncanny ability to capture subtle differences in the human face, from the regal to the whimsical. That talent is in full display in his ‘Vissages’ series. Dakar Bazaar was fortunate to obtain a few pieces from that series which you will find among the Art product pages.