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Yeukai Karengezeka Entertainment Reporter
More than 30 crafters participated at the Arts and Craft exhibition which was successfully held over the weekend at the Book Café.
Applied Art and Crafts Association chairman Enoch Kolimbo, who was one of the organisers of the fair, said they are humbled with the growth the event since the last edition.

“We are excited because this is our second time to market our products at this place and many people came in to buy our products and we believe we are heading for greater heights,” he said.

Kolimbo said they appreciate the recognition craft is now getting from the public and they will start exhibiting monthly.
“Many people used to look down upon our work but we are happy for the recognition we are now getting from local people. We also graced international exhibitions, which is a good sign for our art.

“From this month we will be exhibiting every third Saturday of the month,” he said.
The event was showcasing high quality of local hand-made crafts like basket ware, fabrics, dolls and wall hangings.

Students and practitioners from the Gonamombe Mbira Centre in Harare also presented their wares including designed mbira gourds.
A similar event was held at the same venue on December 21 and saw close to 30 exhibitors displaying and selling their wares from around the country.

The popularity of the fair saw organisers putting in place another event.
Paul Brickhill of the Book Café said such an exhibition was an innovative platform for the promotion of traditional and modern local craft.
“This is a way crafters can promote their work that are traditional and modern. Craft work is a form of cultural expression in material form which in most instances tells the story of Zimbabwe in a artistic way,” he said.

Book and literature enthusiasts got the opportunity to view latest works of literature from writers who were present.