The Craft Market at Spier, Artists 2018: Maria Sikinya
By: Sue Heathcock   (2018-12-26)

Maria Sikinya has been a long-standing fixture at the Craft Market at Spier, sitting at the heart of the market carefully making her jewellery pieces. She’s also made beaded Christmas decorations, angels and trees and has a line using recycled materials.

How did you start making beaded jewellery?

I’ve been doing this for 26 years. I first learned at a project in Khayelitsha craft market. Later I did training with the CCDI and learned more. They taught us how to structure your business, how to audit, work out pricing, everything. They taught us about use of colour too. After that I started making new things, and found I’m very good at colour, which colours work best in summer, which in winter.

Tell us about your pieces made with recycled materials?

I use colourful recycled paper from magazines rolled to make beads for bracelets and necklaces. I also have a design that uses porcupine quills, which someone finds for me on the farms. And I have some necklaces made of recycled fabric.

See Maria’s work for yourself at the Craft Market at Spier. We’re open every day until the end of April. Regular trading hours are 10h00 -17h30, extended until 18h30/19h00 over the Christmas and New Year holiday season.