“We are constantly being bombarded by problems that we face and sometimes we can get completely overwhelmed” – 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, the late Professor Wangari Maathai.
History
The story of MeeKay Lee Arts comes for my long standing love affair with art and the environment. After watching Prof. Wangari Maathai tell the story of the Hummingbird, I took it as a personal challenge. I decided I was going to stop complaining and do something about the problems human beings face.
As a journalist, I have a platform to tell stories. I purposed to tell stories about art and the environment. Most times, I will buy a piece made by hand from an artist I meet at the African market.
In the course of my work, I have met hundreds of artists who have greatly inspired me. My Hummingbird moment came when I saw how much litter we throw away in the form of glass bottles. I decided I was going to do something about it. The rest as they say is my story! That is how MeeKayLee Art was born.
Our products
All our products are made from recycled material specifically glass and tin metal. This is in line with the Hummingbird motto that is at the centre of what we do. We see an opportunity to turn trash into utility and decorative items that can be used anywhere.
We have various artists who hand make the products with utmost care and finesse such that each product turns-out to be a piece of art. Because of the handmade nature of our pieces, design variations and subtle imperfections may be present, which only add to the uniqueness and beauty of each piece. No two are ever perfectly alike so your purchase will always be ONE OF A KIND.
Our commitment and core values
Our objective is to minimize the planet’s carbon footprint by converting glass bottles into highly appealing lifestyle products. We are reintroducing glassware back into people’s lifestyle in the form of eco-friendly lifestyle products with a modernistic rustic feel.
Our commitment and core values are guided by the need to conserve our environment. We work with over 10 gifted artists. Our inspiration is Mother Nature.
We are guided by:
- Creativity – this is at the centre of all our designs. We are always looking at creative ways we can turn that glass into a useful item. We believe anything is possible!
- Dedication – we are dedicated to the cause of saving the environment in whatever way we can. We try to ensure was recycle as much as we can.
- Utility – most of the items we use can be made from recycled material. Everything we make has to have a utility value to it.
- Giving back – everyone we work with knows they are making an impact. We are making the planet a better place to live in.
Founder and Creative Director
Carole J Kimutai is the founder of MeeKay Lee Art. Her love affair with art dates back 15 years ago when she met Allan Donovan of the African Heritage and later Nana Croze of Kitengela Glass.
She started experimenting with glass after an interesting experience at a friend’s house. As a tradition, every time Carole visits a friend or relative, she will always carry a bunch of flowers. Once, she got to a home and her host did not have a flower vase. The flowers were put on a table and later placed in a water jug. This was really painful considering the effort and cost of the flowers. After asking, her host complained that flower vases were expensive.
Carole then decided she would be gifting people with flowers and a flower vase. She looked around and glass bottles were the perfect material to convert to into beautiful vases. She then realized that the bottles can be made into more than flower vases, they can be cut into water tumblers, whiskey glasses and ashtrays. Bottles also make beautiful wind chimes.
LinkedIn: https://ke.linkedin.com/in/carole-kimutai-9b932736
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Website: www.uncommon.co.ke