Zephania in his Kenyan workshop.
The contemporary wooden products on sale here at AARVEN are hand carved in a Nairobi workshop run by one of the founders of the popular Maasai Market in Westlands, Zephania. These items are made from Wild Olive wood that is all sustainably sourced from Zephania’s own plantations in his hometown, Kissi, where he continually re-plants trees. The bone and horn used for the utensils is a by-product of the Kenyan farming industry.
Zephania holding his hand carved olive wood heart trays.
Zephania provides housing for his artisans and they work to their own schedules in an easy going atmosphere in his Rongai Workshops which are situated in the shadow of the Ngong Hills (made famous in Karen Blixen’s novel ‘Out of Africa’). We regularly visit Zephania and collaborate on the design of many of our wooden products to create unique items such as our sushi sets and coffee scoops.
You can see and shop the full range of hand carved olive wood here.