Afghan Tribal Arts at the Pasadena Bead and Design Show!

Handcarved semi-precious stones made into beads,
a specialty of Afghan Tribal Arts.

My friend, Abdul Wardak, is in Pasadena for the Bead and Design Show there. Abdul is the owner of Afghan Tribal Arts and has been importing from Afghanistan and the region since the mid-1980's. Beads are a big focus of his family owned business, but so are textiles, carpets, carvings and other tribal crafts from the region.

July 30 - August 2, 2009, 10AM to 6PM
300 Exhibitors and Workshops
Wearable Art, Bead and Fabric Handwork, Trade Supplies
The Hilton Pasadena, 168 South Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, California

Abdul Wardak at a bead show.

Abdul does many of these bead shows, but he also wholesales to ethnic galleries, boutiques and sells directly to collectors. His normal route focuses on the Midwest and Southeast, but he is interested in making some contacts on the West Coast, too. Visit his website, Afghan Tribal Arts, for contact info and for more images of the types of beads, textiles and products he normally carries. The show info states:

AFGHAN TRIBAL ARTS
Nomadic and tribal jewelry from Afghanistan and Peshawar; Turkman and Pashtun crowns, silver jewelry, Pashtun wedding dresses, vintage clothing, beads, jade, carnelian, lapis lazuli, silver, findings, embroidered and beaded textiles, camel tassels, interior decor, kilims and carpets.
California Ballroom #C190

Catch your fancy? I know I absolutely love everything from that region! People may know about the war in Afghanistan, but little do they know about the beauty of that country and its people.

Abdul Wardak of Afghan Tribal Arts in Afghanistan, 2002

Abdul began the business when he realized what an economic impact his purchases had on the lives of small businesses and artisans in his home country. He also has a deep love and appreciation for the products themselves, their beauty and the skills involved in making them.

If you meet Abdul on this trip, you will have the pleasure of enjoying a warm heart, great storytelling and certain unpredictable laughs. His sense of humor is always brimming, even now as his back is giving out. You will also meet Roshan, Abdul's oldest son, who is learning the ropes and will hopefully keep Afghan Tribal Arts in business as my dear friend gives his back a needed fix through surgery and rehabilitation.



You can read other posts about Afghan Tribal Arts in this blog.

Afghan Tribal Arts at the Pasadena Bead and Design Show!