Africanologie artisan shop pops up in Freshwater

A shopping strip on the northern beaches is claiming to host the only African-centric store in Sydney.

Africanologie owners Jacqui Varasdi, left, and Dael Lane, in their pop-up shop in Lawrence St, Freshwater, where they sell fully imported artwork and homewares from Africa. Picture: Troy Snook

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It’s the pop-up shop that’s helping bring life back to a once-popular northern beaches’ shopping strip.

Owned by Jacqui Varasdi and Dael Lane, Africanologie has opened its doors on Lawrence St in Freshwater

They describe it as the only “African-centric” store in Sydney and are proud to say that every single item on their shelves is fully imported.

The pop-up shop has a wide range of beaded products. Picture: Troy Snook)

Those with a love of everything African may remember the women having a similar outlet in Seaforth, which closed some time ago. But they say they are back with a bigger and better range of hand-selected artisan products from across the continent.

There are lots of carvings too. Picture: Troy Snook

Ms Varasdi said they work directly with many artisans in South Africa and Zimbabwe which helps provide a regular income to support them and their communities.

Their items for sale include photographic artwork and hand-beaded animals from South Africa; scrapmetal and jacaranda wood sculptures from Swaziland and Zimbabwe; decorator items, homewares and authentic artefacts from the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya as well as hand-carved tables from Cameroon and handwoven chairs from Malawi.

“Since we opened out doors the feedback from locals has been extremely positive,” Ms Varasdi said. “They’re so happy to see some colour and life back in their village.

The Africanologie shop-front at Freshwater. Picture: Troy Snook

“People are telling us it’s so nice to see businesses starting to fill-up the vacant shops along Lawrence St.

“And we love being part of the village atmosphere in Freshie.”

Ms Varasdi also wanted to remind potential customers that the money the business pays for the imported products goes straight into the pockets of the artisans.

Africanologie has some unique, if prickly, homewares. Picture: Troy Snook)

“There are no middle men,” she said. “We deal, as much as possible, with the families of the people providing us with their products.

“We also commission work, most of which is done by Zimbabwean refugees living in Johannesburg.”