Zimbabwean Beadwork | Meet Jonathan Domingo
January 30, 2021
Jonathan - known as Jones - and his brother Bernard started their beadwork craft business in 1985. They began their business in Chitungwiza, just outside Hararein Zimbabwe. They started making wire toys for themselves and as time went by other parents started ordering toys for their children. This inspired and motivated them to challenge their abilities and by using their creativity they started to make more and more different animals. Bee met Jones in 1996 in Hackney, London when he travelled there to set up a stall with his brother to sell their beaded products in Covent Garden.
For the past years, the wire crafts have provided a steady source of income for them and other artisans whom they work with in Zimbabwe, where the economy is very harsh and there is a high rate of unemployment. Many local school leavers and young people are venturing into wire crafting under the mentorship of Jonathan. With plain wire they can make motorcycles, vintage cars and bicycles. Using beads they create beautifully intricate insects, birds, fish - even lobsters!
Jones describes himself as a family man, married to wife Gloria, they have 3 children. Gloria is a chef by profession and Jones describes her as very loving and supportive. They are a very close family and Jones believes with the love of a family you can do anything! His son Joe is the eldest. He is 16 and still at school. His dream is to study computer engineering. He also loves to do wire craft. Shalom, his daughter is 14 and also at school. Her dream is to be a lawyer. Lastly there’s Jeremy. He is 12 and is in 6th grade. Jeremy wants to do automotive engineering and he’s also into wire craft during his spare time. They also have a small dog who is part of the family called Shinayne.
We have a wide range of Jones's fantastic creations, including a range of keyrings, large animal heads and a number of animals that come with a wire loop attached, making them great hanging decorations. You can shop the full range here. If you'd like to learn even more about Jones, you can read our interview with him here.
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