It was a time of great reflection and planning in 2020 when the world shut down. Before we knew it, it was the autumn of 2021. Time to get back into the field. After 24 hours of travel, we landed in Nairobi, Kenya. And just like that, I was back in Africa.

Gifting with intention is on everyone’s mind these days and Obakki has been leading the way for over a decade. Our Holiday Gift Guide makes it easy to choose ethical, eco-friendly Christmas presents that will feel just as good giving as they do receiving.

There are multiple benefits to small batch production, starting with what they aren’t. They are not mass-produced in some factory somewhere. And they are not made using questionable labour practices. Just the opposite, these pieces are labours of love.

Today we sit down with ceramic artist and sculptor Bianca Pintan for our series "Five Questions". Bianca draws inspiration from the imperfections in nature and from her local, rugged Australian landscape.

Supporting our entrepreneurial female artisans is one of our priorities. Not that there aren’t some incredible male artisan partners in our group – there certainly are! But sometimes, we want to give a shout-out to women – for all that they do.

As the holiday season approaches we want to inspire sustainable gift-giving. Instead of manic gift purchasing, you’ve still got time to make sure that your gifts are ethical and sustainable. But how do you do that? By asking a few important questions before you buy.

With our new focus on sustainable, ethical homewares, we are proud to say we are working with partners in 11 different countries. It encompasses 65 different artisan groups and thousands of incredible individuals. Many in African countries. I’m back out on the road to meet them again. And it feels amazing.

Whether you are assembling a meat board or a vegetarian charcuterie board - variety is the key. A variety of senses deserve a variety of sensations.

At Obakki, we always want to know more about the people behind our products. These five questions do just that. Today, we talk to Jack, one of our artisans from the Kibera neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya.