TRIBAL TWIST. Words EMMA LOVE Photography MARTIN LOF/LIVING INSIDE

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The exterior of the African Heritage House (as it is officially known) is made of hand-cut stone from a local river, which is covered in

1 TRIBAL From vibrant prints to intricate beading and ornate carvings, the tribal trend is big this year. TWIST We meet the man preserving Africa s original craft heritage in his Kenyan home Words EMMA LOVE Photography MARTIN LOF/LIVING INSIDE The exterior of the African Heritage House (as it is officially known) is made of hand-cut stone from a local river, which is covered in cement and painted to look like mud. The motifs on the walls were inspired by African pre-colonial architecture and adapted by Joanna Bristow, creative manager of African Heritage

Long before the tribal aesthetic became a big European trend, Alan Donovan (left) was devoted to collecting African art.

explore the continent and its culture. He became fascinated by the tribal ornaments and clothes of the Turkana people, and learnt to make jewellery with local craftspeople.

In 1989, 17 years after the gallery opened (sadly, it has since closed down), Donovan began building this unique house on the Athi Plains overlooking the Nairobi National Park.

2 Long before the tribal aesthetic became a big European trend, Alan Donovan (left) was devoted to collecting African art. American-born Donovan calls the wilds of Kenya his home: he fell for Africa s charms during the 1960s, when he was deployed to Nigeria as a humanitarian worker, and later quit his job to further explore the continent and its culture. He became fascinated by the tribal ornaments and clothes of the Turkana people, and learnt to make jewellery with local craftspeople. The enterprise led to the establishment of Nairobi s African Heritage Gallery the first Pan-African exhibition space on the continent. In 1989, 17 years after the gallery opened (sadly, it has since closed down), Donovan began building this unique house on the Athi Plains overlooking the Nairobi National Park. The stone property is filled with more than 6,000 rare artworks, artefacts and fabrics. Last year, the house was named a national monument by the Kenyan government and Donovan is in negotiations with the Obama Foundation to turn it into an African studies centre. Here, we talk to Donovan about his extraordinary collection. The tiered design of the house was inspired by the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali, which is constructed from mud. We have a lot of rainfall here, so that wasn t practical. Instead this house was built using solid stone, which was mined from a nearby river. The stone was cut, hand-carved into blocks and then covered with layers of cement that was painted to resemble mud. I bought many traditional African fabrics when I ran the African Heritage Gallery as its representative I would visit around 20 countries each year. Many of the fabrics in my house depict traditional patterns that are no longer made. Indigo dye is popular in West Africa and I have a lot of blue cloth made by Yoruba women. Each African fabric has its own story. The curtains in the dining room, for example, are a Kente cloth. This type of material originates from the Ashanti kingdom (where it was used to make robes for royalty) and is the most famous cloth in Africa it s still worn today. It has to be woven on a narrow loom outdoors, and always by men. Originally created using silk, its distinctive, vibrant patterns are now often made using cotton instead. A Bakuba fabric (or Kuba, as it s better known) from the Congo adorns the chairs in the living area. Kuba cloth inspired many famous modern artists such as Picasso and Matisse (who hung a collection of Kuba textiles on his studio walls). I ve enjoyed African art since boyhood. I would much rather own a piece of traditional African art, such as an original Kuba fabric, than a Matisse that was inspired by that cloth. Some people think that craft traditions across the continent are all the same, but there is tremendous diversity in the handicrafts and culture. Berber rugs from Morocco cover the stone floors in most of the rooms in my house, but I also have many palm-fibre mats and prayer rugs in the corridors that were woven on the east coast of Africa by the Pokomo people and in the Nubian region of Egypt. There was once a thriving dhow trade that brought goods on ships from India and China to Africa. I bought beds from the sellers and re-purposed some parts by turning them into chairs. I ve also bought a couple of old doors from Oman, new wood-carved pieces from Lamu and woven papyrus furniture from western Kenya that is arranged on the veranda and in the roof room. I love the multi-headed sculpture in the roof room. It was made by the Bambara people of Mali. Each of the heads represents an ancestor, so the structure serves the same function as a family tree. Traditionally, the Bambara would remove the heads and dance with them during their rituals. Beads are used decoratively on everything in Africa. Cowrie shells, for example, were once used as the currency in Africa, so there are tons of those on all kinds of products. In the corridor, I have a large beaded panel depicting an elephant hunt by Nigerian artist Joseph Olabode and the beads for that were imported from former Czechoslovakia (many glass beads were made in Czechoslovakia specifically for the African bead trade). Beads take on a great significance in some pieces, such as in my carved wooden doll made by the nomadic Samburu people of northern Kenya. It s a fertility doll carried by young girls who want to have children. The painted zigzag design on the wall in the roof room is by American photographer Carol Beckwith (whose book African Ceremonies explores vanishing tribal customs) and was inspired by Maasai shields. She hand-painted the wall, together with artists from the African Heritage Gallery, using modern acrylic paints in traditional African colours: black, off white and ochre red. The cream-coloured paint in the corridors was mixed to replicate the pigment that the Swahili people once made from eggshells. The key elements of the African design aesthetic include colour, pattern and beautiful hand-carved wooden objects. So many historic designs are disappearing because there s no local market for them. Traditional ceremonies (which demanded pieces such as masks, sculptures, textiles and jewellery) no longer take place as they once did, and there are a lot of imports from China. Many people who visit my house have never seen these forms of African art. That s why I m trying to create an African studies centre I want to preserve the culture for future generations. Entrance The front door is inlaid with copper and brass and comes from Kashmir in northern India. Papyrus furniture from western Kenya sits on the veranda outside (Rattan Direct sells similar in the UK). The brass snake doorstop was created using the ancient lost-wax method from Nigeria a process that involves creating a mould to easily duplicate intricate sculptures Stockist details on p152

Aluminium embossed panels by a Nigerian blacksmith decorate the wall, alongside a collection of gourd bowls from Northern Cameroon.

3 THE KEY ELEMENTS OF AFRICAN DESIGN INCLUDE COLOUR, PATTERN AND BEAUTIFUL HAND-CARVED WOODEN OBJECTS Living room The double sofa at the heart of this space was made from an old Swahili cradle. Aluminium embossed panels by a Nigerian blacksmith decorate the wall, alongside a collection of gourd bowls from Northern Cameroon. Fulani camel blankets from the Sahara Desert are draped on the wall and sofa. The cushions are covered in kuba cloth, woven from palm fibre in the Congo, and mudcloth from Mali. Maasai cowhides decorate the surfaces 122 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK AUGUST 2016

The zigzag pattern painted on the walls was designed and hand-painted by American photographer and artist

4 Roof room Papyrus chairs (one above) from western Kenya are mixed with Lamu chairs, which are fitted with cushions covered in Kuba cloth from the Congo (The Conran Shop sells Kuba cushion covers). The zigzag pattern painted on the walls was designed and hand-painted by American photographer and artist Carol Beckwith. It is inspired by the decoration on Maasai shields. Hand-woven barkcloth mats cover the floor Stockist details on p152

5 126 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK AUGUST 2016 Above This family tree sculpture with brass applique and movable heads is by the Bambara people of Mali Opposite An ornate brass screen from India is draped in textiles from Ghana, Lamu and India, plus an ivory-and-silver ceremonial horn from Guinea. The hide-covered chair is studded with brass by the Ashanti craftspeople of Ghana

6 THE ROOFTOP GARDEN OVERLOOKS THE WIDE OPEN GRASS PLAINS OF THE NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK Roof garden The glass-topped dining table was made by African Heritage, as were the iron chairs with ornately carved bone handles. The view from this spot is beautiful, taking in the Nairobi National Park and the Ngong Hills where Kenyan settler Karen Blixen of Out Of Africa fame once lived ED

Carmen Sofa: Lustre Velvet, Night Sky; Edward Chair: Lush Scene, Onyx; Window: Medley Stitch, Onyx; Elsa Ottoman: Bolga Basket, Carob, Pillows,

NOMADIC COLOR Carmen Sofa: Lustre Velvet, Night Sky; Edward Chair: Lush Scene, Onyx; Window: Medley Stitch, Onyx; Elsa Ottoman: Bolga Basket, Carob, Pillows, Cannot Resist, Onyx; Ancient Rune, Carob, Lustre