Bezh

02/01/2018

“This piece was inspired by a native indigenous community from the countryside of Sao Paulo; [Suely and Rafael] visited the area back in 1976. You can see this piece is marked by the same smoke used to make the one from Northern Peru. When a piece is handmade, the value is different, not in terms of price, but the significance of the piece itself. These days, people look for handmade pieces for a specific purpose. The market for handmade art is mainly artists.”

01/01/2018

“This first piece is influenced by the Incas. Incas are the Native peoples of Southern Peru. The second piece was inspired by the Mochicachin. Mochica peoples are from a tribe in Northern Peru. So look at the lines and colours, you can see they are different for North and South of Peru. The South is made with more colours, while the Northern piece only uses black and white. The Mochica inspired pot is made using wood smoke. The black colour is made through burning the clay.”

Atelier Suely e Rafael

30/12/2017

On our last day in Brazil, we were given the opportunity to participate in a clay modelling workshop. Although we went into the activity with no prior knowledge of the art form, it ended up being such an incredible experience that was like nothing we could have imagined. We were welcomed by a kind couple named Atelier Suely e Rafael who took us into their stunning home. They led us to a beautiful open kitchen where they served us homemade cake and tea. We learned how to make tea cups, and spent the rest of the afternoon molding clay in the midst of nature, while admiring our surroundings. Since we are a company that works with Indigenous artists, they brought out some of their art pieces that were inspired by the Incas; the Indigenous peoples of Peru. As well as a piece inspired by the Natives that live in the countryside of Sao Paolo, Brazil. Through the help of our phenomenal Brazilian-Canadian friend Camila, they talked us through the different designs and patterns, the process of making the art pieces and their significance. In the next couple of posts, we’d like to highlight some of these conversations.

We often get asked why we chose to sell apparel that highlights Indigenous art, and why we place such importance on its significance. At Bezh, we truly believe “Art is a universal language”. Throughout our time here, we quickly realized the weight of this expression. Hearing Atelier Suely and Rafael speak to how they created their pieces of art and where they found inspiration reminded us that art is a culmination of one’s language, culture, experiences, and surroundings. Art allows people to come together to share an experience regardless of how radically different they may be.

The reason we believe in our company so strongly is because we have always known that art is used as a means of helping us identify with one another. As a social enterprise, we hope to spread the message that rather than letting our differences divide us; we must accept and celebrate those differences. What makes us different unites us; and that, is a beautiful thing we need to embrace.

02/12/2017

Thank you Justin Trudeau for encouraging youth entrepreneurs in Canada and recognizing our achievements and initiatives. JA has given us the platform to take our business venture worldwide. Bézh will continue to share the stories of Indigenous communities. Miigwetch! 🇨🇦

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognized the great job done by Bezh! 👏👏👏👏

Thanks for highlighting our JA companies’ performance!

JA Canada JA Central Ontario - Company Program 🇨🇦

28/11/2017

Bézh is in Brazil! Proud to be representing Canada!

11/11/2017

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS! We're 16 days away from representing Canada at the Company of the Year competition held by JA Americas, in Sao Paulo Brazil!

We've set up a GoFundMe to help us cover some costs. This is an amazing opportunity for young entrepreneurs like us and we really appreciate all the support! ❤️❤️

https://www.gofundme.com/conference-for-youth-entrepreneurs