Before Europeans hopped on boats, Côte d’Ivoire was a centre of trade. The commercial centre attracted different ethnic groups from all over the Saharan belt. The Akan people from Ghana migrated to Côte d’Ivoire and settled to form the Baoule Kingdom. They became known for their intricate and refined art. They adorned themselves with gold, copper, brass, bronze, ivory jewellery, and Akan gold weights that were created through ‘cire perdue’ or lost wax casting.
This cultural heritage is still alive – standing the test of time and brutal colonisation. One jewellery brand that marries ancient art with contemporary designs is Ohiri Studio. It was established in 2012 by Akebehi Kpolo and she started it as a means of expression. It was first a side hustle but by 2016, she quit her job to fully dedicate focus on the business.
Bubblegum Club chats with Akebehi Kpolo to discuss the foundations and future of Ohiri Studio.
Lee Nxumalo: How did you discover your love for jewellery and jewellery design?
Akebehi Kpolo: So I grew up in a family where I saw my auntie and my mom wear huge pieces of beautiful jewellery. I started making jewellery when I was eight and I made it for myself and it was like a game to me.
We used to travel a lot in Côte d’Ivoire and there are different [ethnic] groups and each group has its own identity. It was very important for my parents to let us learn about different cultures. I fell in love with the Akan people. They had unique necklaces, huge breastplates and sculptures and I tried to understand the meaning of the jewellery.
Lee Nxumalo: In terms of your own personal jewellery collection, what is your favourite piece and why?
Akebehi Kpolo: The first piece which comes to mind was a necklace with a pendant depicting a fertility doll – it’s made with gold and diamonds and it was a gift from my auntie.
When I moved back to Côte d’Ivoire, I found my very first piece of jewellery, a breastplate made with plastic pearls. [Finding] it was very emotional for me. It was falling apart so I made a new one and put it in a box. This is another precious piece I have.
Lee Nxumalo: When did you realise that you could make a career out of being a jewellery designer?
Akebehi Kpolo: I grew up in Côte d’Ivoire and I moved to France after high school to study economics. I wanted to do fashion or something in the visual arts after high school, but my parents asked me to do economics because they were traditional. They wanted me to do a ‘normal’ degree.
I grew up in a multicultural environment in Côte d’Ivoire so when I came to Paris, I was kind of shocked that people didn’t know as much about my culture as I know about theirs. They didn’t know much about where I came from and the meaning of our different cultures and heritage.
I’m not an activist or someone that does demonstrations but [I found] a way for me to share my story and get people to know more about my heritage. Jewellery was a way to express myself and so I was working as a consultant while making jewellery. It eventually became more important so I decided to do it full-time and started my brand.
Lee Nxumalo: You studied economics as you mentioned, before you went into jewellery design. Did that experience prepare you in any way for becoming a jewellery designer?
Akebehi Kpolo: I guess it allowed me to be more pragmatic and to have a Cartesian spirit. In some ways, I like to find solutions and pay attention to detail.
Lee Nxumalo: Last year, you decided to move back to Côte d’Ivoire? What was the motivation behind that?
Akebehi Kpolo: Because I wanted to open an atelier and create more pieces in Côte d’Ivoire. It is important for me because when I started the brand, it was to share my story and to let people see that there are many different techniques to making jewellery and the Akan people understand ‘savoir faire’. I wanted to promote that.
Last year, I decided to do production in Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya. In France, it is not challenging to do pieces because they already have the infrastructure and I bring nothing to the jewellery industry. It was interesting and important for me to bring something to the jewellery industry in Africa, even if it is complicated to make pieces here.
Lee Nxumalo: What else do you want with the brand in Côte d’Ivoire?
Akebehi Kpolo: Next year, my goal is to open a factory here and to teach my workmen new techniques and bring new innovations to facilitate the way they are doing things. I also want to open my first flagship, which would be a boutique and also a gallery where I would be able to share the pieces and culture that inspired my collection.
Through my business, I try to share my story but I also want to share it through a different language so I’ve started doing paintings. So the flagship will be a space where all the different mediums that I use would be showcased.
OHIRI SS23 PHOTO CAMPAIGN CREDITS
This season OHIRI creative director Akebehi Kpolo looked deeper to Côte d’Ivoire’s folklore to complete her offering to a legendary King Crocodile and imagined a new series of gifts ranging from jewellery to objects.
With the support of @ethicalfashion and @eu_partnerships
Creative and Art Director: Akebehi Kpolo
Photographer: Paul Marie M’Bo @_akoh_
Retoucher: Yuri Yavorsky @yavorsky_retouch
Models: Mawa Diarassouba @mawadiarassouba, Abdel Doumbia @_ab_del__
Stylist: Akebehi Kpolo
Make Up Artist: Liesse Tiemoko, Sara Soumahoro @sublimebyfina
Hairstylist: Dédé Soumahoro @maiyi_tresses
