Monkeybiz
South Africa
Founded in Cape Town in 2000 by ceramicists and African art collectors Barbara Jackson and Shirley Fintz, Monkeybiz is a non-profit beadwork collective whose story began with a single doll made by artist Mathapelo Ngaka-Mtati's mother, Makatiso. Today over 250 women from the city's townships hand-stitch one-of-a-kind beaded sculptures, animals and figures using techniques passed down through generations, with every piece signed by its maker and every sale going directly back to the artist.