Awa Meité
As a filmmaker, painter, jeweller, designer and stylist, Awa Meité’s talents know no bounds. Her handmade creations are crafted from local materials using various traditional practices through her network of artisans across Mali, where Awa herself is dedicated to showcasing and preserving the country’s textile design craftsmanship through her Routes du Sud organisation founded in 1988. In 2007 she created the Daoula Project, centred around encouraging local cotton production and international exports in order to directly impact the livelihood of the local cotton growers, spinning wheel operators, artisans, dyers, embroiderers, tailors, and merchants.
Her commitment to preserving local cultures grew through her time spent travelling across Mali to learn about her own culture, where being embraced by local village women led to her wanting to find her own way of helping them by developing their crafts into profitable business.
