Twiga

Originally from Tanzania, Twiga started as a Tribal Art Dealer in 1987. She founded her San Francisco art gallery "Twiga", the only exclusive African gallery in the bay area, and the only African-woman owned gallery in the country. The gallery showcases antique African works of art and ancient jewelry beads reinterpreted in a contemporary design.

Through Twiga's extensive travels on the African continent, she has acquired a large collection of rare antiques such as Yoruba masks, Benin bronzes, Makonde statues, religious artifacts, authentic priest chairs, spears, shields, and ancient beads. Twiga's fine jewelry is hand made and each piece contains materials that date back at least 100 years.

Twiga was the first person from her village to venture abroad. Back home, her neighbors still live without electricity, running water or cars. Medical supplies and hospitals are limited. Her hope is to inspire them to explore and see beyond their immediate surroundings.

Twiga founded the non-profit, The Mbinga Children’s Organization, which builds schools in Tanzania. The program continues to add classrooms as well as dormitories, while implementing clean water and health care initiatives for orphans due to tragic the AIDS epidemic.

Twiga's success with jewelry design had led her pieces to be featured at such stores as Saks Fifth Avenue, Takashimaya, Ultimo, and The Gift Shop at the Field Museum in Chicago. Twiga has been profiled in American, Japanese and Italian Vogue, Architectural Digest, Essence, San Francisco Chronicle, and San Francisco Magazine to name a few.

(twigagallery.com)

I discovered this jewelry line about three years ago and instantly fell in love. Eclectic, unique and certainly eye-catching. I look forward to each season in anticipation of the new designs.....I'm never disappointed.