Spanish designer Marta Carrascosa has been travelling continuously between Africa and Europe for more than 15 years. She combines her professional activity as a Cultural Consultant with her work as a designer. Her nomadic life inspires her to create objects that never fail to surprise with their unusual mix of styles and influences. Andalucia, England, Belgium, Namibia, Mali, Benin, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Morocco, all bring colour to her life and work.

I love producing in Africa because of the energy this continent releases in me and my work. I’m inspired by its colours, its positive attitude, its vitality, the value given to simple things, the ability to improvise, the human touch.

I enjoy playing with materials, reinterpreting them and using them in novel ways. Each piece is inspired by and created from ideas and fabrics I find in local markets in different African towns I’ve visited – Yaounde, Abidjan, Kigali, Bamako and not least, Marrakech. Look no further than the hubbub of the craftsmen’s neighbourhoods, the markets, the local shops, daily life to feel my objects come to life.

M’tita Bamako is committed to respecting and promoting the skills of the craftsmen with whom we work. I always buy from small distributors to support the local economy.

M’tita Bamako creations are never mass-produced in a factory. They are lovingly hand-made by skilful local artisans. Building relationships, exchanging ideas and working closely with makers is a vital part of the creative process for me, so M’tita Bamako works exclusively with small workshops and enterprises.

Marta Carrascosa makes small naïve paintings inspired by scenes of everyday life as weddings, neighbourhoods, markets, villages… Very colourful and delicate miniatures to illustrate her stories and tales.