Celebrate Black History Month with Afrotechture!
WELCOME TO AFROTECHTURE
Telling Black stories through artisanship
Afrotechture is the destination for black artisans goods in Canada. We strive to showcase Canada's "hidden gems" in our community, by providing a retail space for artisans with roots in the African and Caribbean diasporas. As artisans ourselves, we know from personal experience the struggle that black entrepreneurs face in getting products in front of the public. We opened Afrotechture to give our talented Black artisans a place where our heritage would be celebrated. So come downtown to Afrotechture and discover the diaspora!
Resa Solomon-St. Lewis & Tracey Solomon
Co-founders, Afrotechture
Resa Solomon-St. Lewis & Tracey Solomon
Co-founders, Afrotechture
black history fact #1: Mary Ann Shadd Cary was an activist, educator, and the first Black woman to publish a newspaper (The Provincial Freeman) in North America.
Wax Poetic
When you think of African fabrics, bold patterns and vibrant colours immediately spring to mind!
Click on the image to go behind the scenes and explore the making of these popular African textiles known as Ankara Wax Print.
Our Gallery
Shop Our Ankara Collection
black history fact #2: Born in Fredericton, NB in 1935, Willie O'Ree was the NHL's first Black Player, making his NHL debut on Jan. 18, 1958, with the Boston Bruins
Caffeine Rush
Coffee's origins date back centuries to the ancient coffee forests in Ethiopia. Legend has it that Kaldi, a goat herder first discovered the potential of these beloved beans.
Watch the video of an Ethiopian coffee ceremony and see how the Ethiopians do it!
Our Gallery
Shop Food & Beverage
black history fact #3: some text goes here
We've got Wishlist Fever!
We asked friends to put together a wishlist of some of their must have items and they came through!
Student life - Teresa is a student at Elmwood School in Rockliffe and gives us her picks for the life of a busy student
Mom's world - xxx from Black Mama's of Colour is a busy mom on the go, who can't go without these items
WFH - xx is a <insert job> who works mostly from home and counts on these items to get through the workday
Travel bug -
What Are You Shopping For?
What Are You Shopping For?
Relax & Restore
One of the most popular ingredients used by artisans in our bath and body collection is shea butter. Ghana is the world's largest exporter of shea butter, sending nearly 28M tonnes of unrefined shea butter to countries far away such as China, Germany and France. It's just one of the ingredients that our artisans use in their soaps, lotions, body butters and other skincare products.
Spotlight:
African Princess Power
The African Princess Collection was created to uplift young black children of African descent by providing them with dolls in their own image. Each princess has a unique story that tells of her connection to the diaspora.
Read more...
Read more...
Just Do It! Low-maintenance fun for a day at home.
Representation Matters:
African Princess Power
Sew, sew good!
Let your inner fashion designer out with our no-sew doll demo! Make a dress in just a few minutes without a needle and thread in sight! With just a few pieces of fabric, your dolls can have a whole new wardrobe!
Friends of the Earth
Even if you don't have a green thumb, you can breathe life and colour into your home with these healthy, pet-friendly, low maintenance, one of a kind plant terrariums. Good for you and for the earth!
Read All About It
Our name can be an invitation to learn more about our origins and our family history! This heartwarming story follows young Theodore as he tells us why he thinks everybody's name is special. Perfect bedtime read!
Find it here
Find it here
black history fact #3: Canadians of Caribbean origin belong to one of the largest non-European ethnic groups in Canada. By 1973, they accounted for almost 13 per cent of all immigration to Canada.
Meet the Founders: Sisters, Partners & Entrepreneurs
Summa Summarum:
Sisters & Partners
Resa Solomon-St. Lewis earned her BASc. in Chemical Engineering at U of Ottawa and headed to the Federal government for a long career, progressing to Executive roles. She left the public service for Chef School, launching a new career. Today, Resa is an award-winning Chef, Food Artisan and Entrepreneur. She is the the Owner of Baccanalle Caribbean Lifestyle Foods, and a proud Wife and Mom in Ottawa.
Tracey Solomon studied at McGill University and after several years as a management consultant, moved to New York where she set her sights on the healthcare industry. Today, Tracey runs her own consulting practice and feeds her creative side with Flatbush Granola, her artisanal granola venture based in Brooklyn.
Tracey Solomon studied at McGill University and after several years as a management consultant, moved to New York where she set her sights on the healthcare industry. Today, Tracey runs her own consulting practice and feeds her creative side with Flatbush Granola, her artisanal granola venture based in Brooklyn.
TALENT ALL AROUND US
Meet Our Makers
We are proud to showcase Black Canadian Artisans with roots in the African and Caribbean diasporas. Our artisans talents cover a fantastic range - from food and beverage, to home decor, bath and beauty and more. Visit our Meet the Makers section to read up on all of our artisans.
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
- Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection.