Tangible Culture

Oh, island in the sun Willed to me by my father’s hand All my days I will sing in praise Of your forest, waters Your shining sand Island in the Sun By Harry Belafonte

From the album Calypso

What do we know about Jamaica? What is at the heart of the island? Who are we as a people? What is in our souls that motivates us…that moves us? What are the stories that make up our history as we go about our day to day? What warms our hearts and remains with us even to this day, making us who we are? This is the fabric that makes up our heritage…our Culture. Undoubtedly, our heritage has influenced pop culture in one way or another, yet we can never seem to consistently capture for ourselves what so many visitors to our island home are able to do; create opportunity from the essence of our country and turn it into something tangible and profitable for themselves. After all, we are at a distinct advantage being born and raised in good old J.A., with the best vantage point to do just this, right? Jamaica is visually stunning. She is one of the most beautiful places in the World, inspiration right around every corner and within each person. Cultural heritage is intangible, a source of diversity and a driver of sustainable development. It is the basis for many creations, ideas and concepts and is often characterized by things spoken about and passed on verbally, through folk songs, performing arts, local knowledge and traditional skills, which unfortunately, is not valued as it should be, despite its influence on local and international culture.

Tangible cultural heritage refers to things that we can store or physically touch. These might include traditional clothing, tools, buildings, artwork, monuments, modes of transportation and even pottery. Transitioning from the intangible to a physical creation that has significance and is recognized for its relevance culturally, is the space I often find myself in. It is a deep-seated yearning to be able to transform pockets of Jamaican culture into products that also have a positive impact on someone’s mood, by being able to bring them joy. I find myself wanting to make something that lasts beyond my time, that can be passed down for generations; as Modern Jamaican Heirlooms. It is part of my mission to create physical or tangible products of human creativity that are endowed with cultural significance for our society and can be appreciated across the World. My personal experience as a Jamaican, is authentically my perception of the island, the things that have influenced me and what I LOVE about our culture, muddled in with some international influences and styles I like, creating an aesthetic that I feel is a modern interpretation of Jamaican heritage. Growing up in rural Jamaica, was different from the fast-paced, vibrant, lively, enthralling, built environment of Kingston, the concrete jungle. The stories of nightlife, entertainment, shopping, dining, performing arts and so much more, easily makes it the cultural epicenter of the island, in fact the majority of my customer base is in Kingston. It is so different from the lush, tropical, untouched side of the island. In ‘country’, things move a little slower, life ‘feels’ different in a sleepy fishing village, a farm district or a resort town. Life is certainly what you make it, and you have to work harder or be a bit more resourceful if you want to lead a life worth living. I am blessed be have been able to experience both sides. Once you experience the various sides of Jamaica, it is hard to see it as anything but Paradise, good for the soul. In Savanna-la-mar; an old factory town located in western Jamaica, known mainly for sugar production, it wasn’t easy for my parents to find extra-curricular activities for their three children. However, a few things I remember that have stuck with me, are their deep love for the beauty of the island and the people, a love for music and dancing, a strong sense of family, loyalty and love, and of course a love for food! My mother was always introducing us to her favourite songs by listening, singing and dancing to them loudly on long drives; because one thing you know about Jamaican country life…everyting far! We were used to driving a minimum of thirty minutes to an hour to get anywhere, it was just the fact of life that we hated, but the music always made it better! Thanks John Holt, A Thousand Bolts of Holt was the soundtrack to many road trips! My father was always pointing out random bits of knowledge and sharing facts about some animal and/or wildlife, family story or something he read, keeping our minds and imaginations active. Often times these trips were to spend time with family and we always stopped to get street side food from the vendors along the way. Fruits, fried fish, bammy, jerk pork, porridge, soup, roast corn and my personal favourite, even to this day; roast yellow yam and saltfish! I still stop by in Manchester whenever I have to drive into Kingston, I can’t help myself! Jamaican culinary culture is built on fond memories of family, friends and special times in our lives. There is just something about a well-cooked Jamaican meal that touches your SOUL! Am I right? Don’t get me wrong I love all kinds of food. Exploring and trying food from other countries makes this girl happy! I am especially drawn to food experienced as a family or with a group of friends. Nothing fancy…just good food and good people. The kind of gatherings that puts a smile on your face, warms your heart and fills your belly! I know you understand what I am saying! If you are a creative like me, these experiences might run a little deeper. You tend to get lost in the interactions, the finer details and things that might be totally unrelated but have been sparked by the interaction with your loved ones or the memory of them. It is usually in these conversations that I get a spark and a concept might come to mind, or a seed might be planted that inspires an idea later on. Most of us are filled with stories and have different experiences that shape our perception and life as a Jamaican. One such experience, which at the time caused me much grief, was that I had to clean the china [tableware] and silverware from the breakfront and what-not. You know, the plates we hardly ever used but you had to clean them so they didn’t ‘dry-rot’ and yes, that can happen to plates. As the only girl I had to set the table, some days I hated it…other days I loved to express my creativity in mixing and matching and pairing plates, glasses, flatware, flowers, and all the fandangles of place settings, creating what we now call tablescapes. Obviously, I took FOREVER to set the table as my mind often drifted in between cleaning plates and polishing knives and looking at the intricate details of a design. Wondering how it was made, fascinated by the shapes, colours, textures and beauty of them all. Inevitably, I developed an appreciation for functional ceramics, which shows up in my work today. What can I say? My experiences have made me LOVE food and not just any food, a distinct predisposition towards Jamaican food. Culinary culture is developed over time and the moments we share around our local dishes. There is so much historical context to the food we enjoy, the tools used to prepare, serve and eat them. Take bammy [our version of flat bread, made from cassava] for example, I have no idea how it is made, but I would eat it every day if I could. I do know that it originated with the Taino people, as did the process of smoking meat in pits which developed into what is now famously Jamaican Jerk. Can you believe this has been passed down for generations and still enjoyed today? I love to see a Chinese or Japanese table. Oh, how adorable are those little teapots for one cup of tea, or a little tiny cup and flask for sake, or how about those chopstick holders? Every piece of tableware is designed for use and has a purpose.  As my design school professor used to drill in our heads make it functional [with sustainability and the environment in mind] but make it pretty fabulous! I admire this about other cultures. It is so fascinating to see how each piece of tableware is designed for a specific purpose within the dining experience. As if the architects of Japanese cuisine, broke down every single bite of every single meal and said, ‘having this or that, will make the experience so much better!’ As if each bowl was made with the type of food in mind, and how it would be consumed and the company that might be involved, a true designed approach to everyday living. Something that we oftentimes take for granted that ‘someone’ actually took the time to design for the purpose of making our lives easier or just more pleasant. Just think about it, the fork we use every day took several attempts to become the version we use today that we deem as most functional for the type of food we eat the most for the widest cross-section of the population. And even then, there is still opportunity in the redesign for those who find it uncomfortable to use, or just in designing one that has a different look that will appeal to another audience or another type of cuisine. And this is why I love what I do, I get to use the best practices and the history of making ceramics and other functional products, making improvements to it for the sake of not only making it beautiful but to enhance an experience or bring joy to the user. As the creator I think about how it is going to be used, who will be using it, I envision them making the meal, and how it will look and how their company will enjoy what they have lovingly prepared for them [or catered I won’t judge]. For me, there is no separating something functional from something visually appealing it goes hand in hand. As a designer, I look forward to picking apart the meals that makes up our culinary culture and weaving the pieces I make into the fabric of our lives … our story … our heritage. I get so fired up being able to envision and create a design that fulfills this mission to celebrate our culinary heritage and create pieces that enhances it for all people who enjoy Jamaican cuisine; or any type of food, for that matter. This summer BAUGHaus Design Studio will embark on a journey that explores our culinary culture, creating tangible heritage pieces that celebrates and is specific to our most beloved meals; diving deeper and expanding our Heritage Collection, to create pieces that you can actually cook with or, are specific to Jamaican Culinary Culture. I invite you to follow us on Instagram or visit our website and sign up for our newsletter to see how I approach the design and creation of the pieces. Each piece will most likely have a different creative process and I will be sharing a few videos as the concepts are brought to life. I hope you will join me.

I strongly believe that as Jamaicans, who better to take this step than someone who lives it? Who better to make it authentic, original and unique than you and me? It is our birthright. I like to make pretty things, I say it all the time. It is a part of my messaging for my brand BAUGHaus Design Studio. So, I encourage and hope that more local creatives also endeavor to make culturally tangible pieces that are not only visually stunning but also functional and totally innovative! Until next time…Take Care in the time of Corona! Bio: Dana Baugh is the Fonder and Creative Lead at BAUGHaus Design Studio, located in Savanna-la-mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica. BAUGHaus Design Studio proudly designs and makes fine authentic handmade products for the home, infused with Jamaican ‘roots and culture’. Their main products include exquisite porcelain tableware, lighting, furniture and soft goods for the home that marries form and function to create pieces that are modern, tropical and warm at the same time. They love making pretty things and hope you love them as much as they love making them! It is their mission to spread joy through their products that inspires people to ‘live the life you love, and to love the life you live’.