Appreciation, not appropriation: our commitment

Short answer: Our African-inspired head planters draw on West African figurative sculpture, and we say so plainly. Every design is our own composition: we do not copy historical, ceremonial or sacred objects, we do not use words like "tribal" or "exotic", and we do not claim our sales support African communities. We welcome feedback.

The pieces themselves: our head planters and face plant pots.

Why make African-inspired planters?

Because the sculptural tradition is extraordinary. In the figurative sculpture of Nok, Ife and Benin, the head is a central subject, carrying identity and status, and in Yoruba thought the head, or ori, is tied to a person's destiny. When we looked for forms beyond the smooth, generic busts on the market, the faces, hairstyles and dignity of these traditions were what we kept returning to.

What do we mean by appreciation?

• Honesty: we name our sources. Our head planters are inspired by West African figurative sculpture.
• Originality: every design is our own. We do not reproduce specific historical or ceremonial objects.
• Care with sacred forms: where we are unsure whether a motif carries spiritual or ceremonial meaning, we leave it out.
• Respect for meaning: the objects we learn from were political records, spiritual vessels and markers of rank, not decoration. Our planters are domestic objects, made with that dignity in mind.

What will we never do?

• Use the word "tribal", which flattens many distinct cultures into one.
• Market our pieces as "exotic".
• Claim that buying our planters supports African communities. It does not; it supports our studio in Cumbria.

Isn't all art influenced by other art?

Yes. Ife influenced Benin; African sculpture reshaped European modernism, including the work of Picasso and Brancusi. Influence is not the problem. Taking without credit, without learning and without listening is.

Can you tell us if we get it wrong?

Please do. If you have closer ties to these traditions and think we have got something wrong, we want to hear it, through our contact page.

Choosing a piece? Read how to style an African head planter.

Questions

Are your head planters copies of African artworks?

No. Every design is our own composition, inspired by West African figurative sculpture.

Do your sales support African communities?

No, and we do not claim they do. They support our studio in Cumbria.

How can I give feedback?

Through our contact page. We want to hear it.

Browse head planters and face plant pots