Impart a sense of serenity to your space, with artisan home interiors rooted in nature.

kanju partners with small artisan groups across Africa who create beautiful, authentic home décor. Our collections celebrate natural materials and artistic traditions with a modern style. From artisan baskets and felt bowls, to the softest pillows and blankets and unique statement décor, find the perfect pieces to add a soulful touch to your unique home style, all handmade with love.

From artisan planters and masterfully crafted furniture, to sumptuous handwoven rugs and one of a kind vintage accessories, kanju's collection are imbued with the purest essence of luxury. Crafted from the finest natural materials, each elegant curve and specially curated object is a lesson in intention and purpose. 

In our own travels through Africa, we at kanju have discovered a vibrant beauty that dances across the endless landscape of the continent and a sense of connection to the creative spirit and cultures that is deep and raw. African luxury is a celebration of that spirited beauty, a celebration of the most poignant moments of life and what it means to be human, luxuriating in the simplicity of existence and connection to each of our senses in a vast world of color, texture, elegance and extraordinary moments. 

In Africa, reverence for the majesty of the natural world binds people closely to their surroundings and their own internal sense of meaning. Indoor-outdoor living is a state of mind, a lifestyle and a physical choice of design, where inspiration from the natural world fuels artis and architects to mimic it's forms and actively celebrate its materials. 

African landscapes are some of the most ecologically diverse and grand on the planet. From vast, rolling red dunes to dramatic oceanside cliffs and seemingly endless savannas, African luxury invites you to bring the raw, magnetic spirit of nature into your own space and celebrate the inspiration that only Mother Earth can offer. From open living spaces with large grounds and wide vistas, to urban lofts and modern city spaces, kanju's African luxury designs offer the perfect, grounding natural elements to imbue soul to the space. 

Join the Journey, and share the story of sustainable African luxury, handcrafted by local artisans with love for your home. 

kanju is more than a collection of beautiful things; kanju is a journey, a series of links, a constellation of moments— moments that connect things to places and places to people. From small villages across the African continent to intimate and eclectic interior spaces around the world, kanju is a bridge between cultures.

kanju is big planes crossing oceans and small planes hopping lakes and rickety 4×4 vehicles bumping along dusty roads. kanju is the ochre mud that cakes our shoes as we visit market stalls and remote artist studios; mud that is rolled into beads, sunbaked for days, and strung in rhythmic patterns along the edges of a lampshade or wall sconce. It is the disused milk bottle and window pane that find renewal as elements of a rain chain or decorative screen. kanju is copper languishing within the belly of an old water heater, melted and cut into a polished bead or disc in a chandelier. It is the skin of the life-giving baobab tree spun into a textured rug that crinkles softly beneath your feet.

kanju is the artist who notices a rusting bicycle cog and sees a kinetic history spin out from its sprockets; a new view of an old building from behind a camera lens. It is a perspective and a story and it is our honor to share these stories with you, to share this roadmap as we draw it— journey by journey, artwork by artwork. A kanju piece is an expression of the inspiration we find all across Africa and in this moment you, too, are part of our story.

Umuntu Ngumtu ngabantu ―Zulu Proverb

(a person is a person only through the connection to other people)

 

At kanju, we derive profound inspiration from the talent and tenacity of our African artisan partners and from the breathtaking artworks we encounter across the continent. This inspiration motivates us to collaborate with artists to create works that represent the vast landscape of African culture and artistic heritage so that you may enjoy these exceptional pieces in your own space anywhere in the world.

Committed to promoting the growth of our partners in Africa, we maintain robust relationships with artists and artisan groups—all in varying stages of independent development. By acknowledging structures in place and identifying areas that would benefit from additional resources for expansion, production support, or exploration of new techniques and artistic frontiers, kanju enables workshops and artisans to innovate. Our strategic support equips them to grow by taking on new apprentices, producing larger volume series, advancing materials sourcing ability, and engaging with a broader global arts community to elevate designs that are compelling to our discerning global clientele. Our close engagement with workshops in turn enables clients to commission spectacular one-of-a-kind works and source unique pieces from our specialty design series.

kanju connects directly with our artisan partners and groups that support them to create a unified platform to impact a complex design process with footholds in communities across the African continent. Artisans maintain a dignified standard of living, supporting their families and often taking on leadership roles in their personal and artistic communities to influence further economic development opportunities and inspire fellow artisans to advance their craft and business practices. At kanju, we aim always to harness our own awe of the works we encounter to empower artistic brilliance and support advancement in African communities.

"True beauty is found only in authenticity. True luxury is the sophistication to appreciate it." ― Meg Bartos, founder of kanju interiors

It was over 15 years ago that I first stepped foot on African soil. As an aspiring young career woman on one of my earliest business trips, the people, landscapes, scents, colors, and vitality that I encountered enveloped me and seemed somehow entirely new yet familiar, capturing my heart, my youthful ambition, and my imagination.

On that trip, a local client offered to take me to a Nigerian arts and crafts market. Out of the stalls spilled carvings, textiles, and paintings, and I was reminded of endless childhood days spent with my beloved grandmother combing markets and trade shows for décor, materials, and trinkets for her interior design business.

I purchased my first African artworks, a few small carvings and three paintings, and I was hooked. Over the next several years working on projects across the African continent, I visited local markets and artisans whenever possible and it became a ritual and great joy to collect special pieces for myself, family, and friends.

 As you browse kanju's collections, we hope you will find as much delight and inspiration in these exquisite pieces and their rich stories as we do at kanju.

Africa is a vast, endlessly diverse, and enchanting continent with infinite substance to feed the imagination. The works in these pages are the result of artistic skills honed over years and generations, thousands of miles traveled, and the magic that comes from the varied experience of mediums, regions, groups, and individuals each bringing their own perspective to the Kanju collection.

You, our friends and fellow design lovers who appreciate the beautiful and exceptional, complete the kanju story. It is an honor to invite you to join us in celebrating African art and design.

Meghan Bartos
Founder

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