São Paulo – Handicraft and decoration items from Egypt, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates are on sale at a fair running until April 2 in São Paulo’s Shopping Metrô Tatuapé mall. More specifically, the UAE stand represents the emirate of Dubai. The exhibitors and artisans include nationals from each of the countries, according to the event’s producer Dayane Capelari, of handicraft/décor events firm Interart.
Featured countries also include India, Pakistan, Turkey, Kenya, Peru, Greece and Senegal. Capelari notes that the Arab countries, plus Turkey, draw a lot of crowd attention. “I guess it’s because Brazilians find the items to be different.” According to the producer, apart from selling the items, the goal is to showcase a bit of the history and culture of each country through its artisans and their work.
Following its stint at Shopping Metrô Tatuapé, Interart’s International Handicraft and Décor Fair will move into Shopping Center Norte, another mall in São Paulo, with the addition Tunisian, Russian and Indonesian stands, from April 5 to May 28.
On offer at the Egyptian stand in Shopping Metrô Tatuapé are papyruses, essences, clothing, frames, sphinxes, etc. The Dubai stand features jewelry, clothing and bronze vases, among other things. Prices start at BRL 20.
Moroccan items include recycled wood décor pieces with desert motifs, geometric shapes and arabesques. Also available are decorative mirrors, frames, pictures, etc. Holding court at the stand are the Moroccan-born, Brazilian-based artist Abdelaziz Bahsain and the Brazilian artist Angela Carla Raso Prata, who lives in Morocco and Brazil. Both study art and its history.
Bahsain is also offering Arabic calligraphy at the fair. He writes people’s names or requests for words like health, love, etc. According to Prata, calligraphy is a crowd-pleaser. “They find it very beautiful,” he says. Bahsain and Prata run a project designed to spread Moroccan art and culture (www.bahsain.com).
The International Handicraft and Décor Fair is taking place in the Shopping Metrô Tatuapé Food Court. It is open from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 10 pm, and on Sunday and holidays from 2pm to 8pm.
Quick facts
International Handicraft and Décor Fair
March 10 to April 2, 2017
Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 10 pm, Sunday and holidays, 2 pm to 8 pm
Shopping Metrô Tatuapé
Rua Dr. Melo Freire s/n – Tatuapé – São Paulo – SP
Find out more: http://www.shoppingtatuape.com.br/ or +55 11 4825-6074
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum