BIOKO HEIRLOOM
2012 - 2014
BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH PROJECT
TEAM: Drexel University (Shaya Honarvar - Founder/Director, Amy Stoltzfus - Project Lead & Designer), Urecan artisans, project designer (myself)
Bioko Heirloom (now Equatorial Guinea Artisanal Program) was a women-created jewelry micro-enterprise, where Urecan women can generate financial support for their families/children through making and supporting sustainable material practice on the island by rejecting the use of protected species e.g. drill monkey and leatherback turtle.
I worked closely with the women, sourcing found and mildly manipulated materials like palm fibers, volcanic rock, and printed fabrics, building patterns, assembly techniques and relationships with each other and nature. Their sophisticated knowledge of collecting, processing, and drying palm fibers for shrimp fishing baskets raised personal questions of
1. state of the cultural voids in across communities with and without advanced computational systems
2. value propositions of the spectrum of artisanal to automated making methods
An artisan practicing her stitching and beading of volcanic rock to form a necklace, later purchased and hike out to sell at the Moka Wildlife Center. Sketches and photos by Amy Stoltzfus
Leatherback turtle - protected under the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program | Source I became turtle certified, helping biologists with beach combinb and data collection at night to support the biodiversity and in order to live and work within the island's conservation region.
Sketch inspiration shared with the village and to build familiar one-of-a-kind curated pieces to display in Malabo (capital) Cultural Center. Photo & sketch by Amy Stoltzfus
Food supplies being delivered (left) conservation station (right). Sketch by Amy Stoltzfus
A typical day, hiking into Ureca, meeting with the village President to gain his blessing before working with the Urecan women to build jewelry with the seeds, rocks and shrimp baskets they collected during the week. Sketches and photos (center, right) by Amy Stoltzfus, Photo (left) by Shaya Honarvar
BBPP - Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program
The jewelry production by local Urecan women continues still, making and selling in the Moka Wildlife Center, Equatorial Guinea and online globally.