The design and production process of jua kali furniture in Kenya “Art or Chaos”

Abstract

The Jua Kali industry covers the informal manufacturer who operates informally under makeshifts on the outskirts of our major urban areas such Gikomba and Shauri Moyo in Nairobi. This paper looks into the design and production processes of Jua Kali furniture. Jua Kali designers’ approaches to the trade and tools used are also addressed. The issue of equipment and workshop, sketches and photographs showing faults in their products have been included for scrutiny and evidence of the chaotic situation. Interviews were conducted among 300 artisans and 100 consumers. The workshops observed were for wood and metal production. The interviewed artisans in 188 wood production workshops and 112 metal production workshops