Joni Brenner – Artist, Lecturer, and Marigold Bead Project Partner

In this episode, we hear from the amazing Joni Brenner, an artist helping a cooperative of women in Zimbabwe to produce beads that are not just beautiful necklaces but also an enterprise that sustains the livelihoods of women and their families. Joni shares how it all began with a “happy accident,” which led to collaborations with William Kentridge, among others, and how openness and serendipity foster creativity.

Listen to the conversation

Behind the Conversation

The Story Behind the Beads

by Babette Gallard

I have always loved Joni Brenner’s Marigold beads, but this conversation made me think much more about what lies behind them. What struck me most was Joni’s respect for the creativity of the women she works with in Bulawayo and the freedom they have to experiment, particularly when collaborating on projects with people such as William Kentridge and researchers at Wits. There is something quite extraordinary about the ideas, relationships and different worlds that come together in what appears, at first, simply to be a beautiful object. By the end of the interview, the beads I was wearing felt different. As I said to Terri afterwards, I felt as though I was carrying a story around my neck.