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Published on 9/4/08
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Don’t get us wrong. We love hitting the Wicker Park/Bucktown boutique scene for holiday shopping sprees. But if you really want to find that one singular sensation, you’re more likely to find it at off-the-beaten-path shops and quasi-retail operations. They’re run by international importers who make frequent trips to their homelands for authentic pieces by artisans who’d otherwise remain unknown outside their countries’ borders. We set out on our own trek to the four corners of the Chicago retail world, and discovered these unsung gems.
The shop: Ethnic Fusion, 7524 N. Paulina St., 773-319-7374
What they sell: Handcrafted African décor, furniture, serving wear, accessories and instruments
What to expect: Proprietress Sandra Mutisya recently opened a tiny storefront gallery in a new mixed-use complex next to the Howard Red Line stop in Rogers Park. But that’s just a taste of the expansive inventory (much of it intended for wholesale, but available to retail shoppers) she’s got stashed in a few adjacent storage units, which visitors may view upon request.
The story: Mutisya’s mother, based in Mombasa, Kenya, has run a successful chain of retail shops since 1974, drawing on her connections to artisans locally and in other African nations. Mutisya’s grandfather was a founding member of a renowned Kamba-tribe woodcrafts artisans’ cooperative. The Rogers Park shop is the family’s first American foray, initiated by Mutisya, who came to Chicago to study business at DePaul.
Fave finds: Wooden sculptures of Congolese colonial soldiers, royal tribal chairs and raffia mats; Makonde tribal ebony masks from Tanzania; Kenyan gourd bowls; Madagascan dyed-raffia hats.
Check it out: The shop is open 10am-5pm, Mon-Fri and 10am-4pm Sat, but it’s a good idea to call first.
The shop: Part-time retailer Rachel Lafontant, 7524 N. Paulina St., 773-573-0279
What they sell: One-of-a-kind, studio-quality Haitian arts and crafts
What to expect: Lafontant was literally moving merch into a storage space next to Mutisya’s while we were visiting the latter. She’ll also maintain a small storefront gallery in the same building, scheduled to open to the public on weekends.
The story: Lafontant, an ATA flight attendant who was born in Haiti, has been bringing back arts and décor from the island nation for 13 years, but until now has only resold it on an informal basis. She’s forged relationships with Haitian master craftsmen, most of them self-taught, whose private-studio works you won’t find at any roadside tourist bazaar.
Fave finds: Jean Baptiste Jeune Obert’s mahogany and cedar figurative sculptures; “riverstone” sculptures; sequin-covered bottles and govis (ceremonial voodoo vessels); sequin-adorned voodoo flags; Raymond Joseph’s village-scene paintings.
Check it out: Call to set up an appointment. Lafontant plans to be open by December 1, but as yet has no regular public hours.
