Ripleys Nest Guide
Appreciation, not appropriation: our commitment
Ripleys Nest
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Quick read: Quick Summary Ripleys Nest draws on sculptural traditions from multiple cultural origins , African figurative art, classical Greek and Roman forms, and others , in creati
Quick Summary
Ripleys Nest draws on sculptural traditions from multiple cultural origins , African figurative art, classical Greek and Roman forms, and others , in creating its range of cast stone pieces. This post outlines our commitment to approaching these traditions with respect and care, distinguishing between appreciation and appropriation.
We make African-inspired sculptural planters. We are a small workshop in Cumbria, run by two people who are not African. That sentence, on its own, raises fair questions. This piece is our attempt to answer them honestly.
This is not a defensive statement. We are writing this because we think anyone who draws creative inspiration from another culture owes it to their customers and to that culture to explain what they are doing and why.
Why we make African-inspired planters
The short version: because the sculptural tradition is extraordinary and we could not stop thinking about it.
West African figurative sculpture, particularly the traditions of Nok, Ife, and Benin, treats the human head as the primary subject of art. The head carries identity, status, beauty, and in Yoruba thought, destiny itself. Sculptors across these traditions gave the head prominence, scale, and extraordinary detail.
The head as a sculptural form is structurally strong, casts cleanly, and holds fine detail. When you hollow the crown to hold soil and a plant, something interesting happens , growth emerging from the seat of identity.
We did not set out to make "African decor." We set out to make sculptural planters that felt different from the generic smooth-faced busts flooding the market. When we studied the forms that interested us most, they led back to West African sculpture every time , the stylised features, the elaborate hairstyles, the dignity of the faces.
What we mean by appreciation
- Names its sources honestly
- Studies the tradition it draws from
- Creates original compositions, not replicas
- Respects the meaning behind the forms
- Makes no claim to cultural authority
- Takes without understanding
- Strips cultural elements of context
- Reproduces specific ritual or sacred objects
- Uses exoticising or othering language
- Claims authenticity it does not have
Knowledge. We have done the reading. We know the difference between Nok and Ife, between Yoruba and Benin court traditions. We know the cultural significance of the ori. We are not experts, but we are not ignorant either.
Honesty. We name our sources. Our sculptural planters are inspired by West African figurative sculpture. We say so plainly.
Originality. We create original designs. We do not reproduce specific historical or ceremonial objects. Every design is our own composition.
When we are unsure whether a motif carries specific spiritual or ceremonial significance, we err on the side of not using it. A general sculptural influence feels different from reproducing a specific ritual object.
Respect for meaning. The original objects we draw on were not decorative. They were political records, spiritual vessels, markers of rank and identity. Our planters are domestic objects , but we carry forward something of the dignity that characterises the source traditions.
The difference between appreciation and appropriation
The direction of intent matters: are you trying to understand and honour, or are you trying to extract and sell? We are trying to do the former.
We do not use the word "tribal." It flattens hundreds of distinct cultures into a single category and carries colonial baggage. We do not reproduce ceremonial or sacred objects. We do not market our pieces as "exotic."
We do not claim that buying our planters supports African communities. It does not. Our planters support our workshop in Cumbria. Being transparent about that is part of not appropriating.
What influenced our thinking
West African sculptural traditions represent one of the two or three most influential bodies of sculptural work in human history. Picasso, Moore, Brancusi, and virtually every major twentieth-century sculptor drew on them. That does not excuse carelessness, but it does provide context.
Cultures are not closed systems. The Ife tradition influenced Benin. Benin metalwork influenced European collections. European modernism was reshaped by African sculpture. Influence flows in every direction.
The problem with appropriation is not influence itself, but the power dynamics around it. The bar is not high , credit your sources, learn the tradition, and stay open to criticism.
Where we are still learning
Cultural sensitivity is not a box you tick once. There are questions we continue to think about. Should we donate a portion of sculpture sales to organisations that support African art education or repatriation efforts? We are considering it, but we want to do it meaningfully rather than performatively.
We welcome feedback on this. Genuinely. If someone with closer ties to these traditions sees our work and thinks we have got something wrong, we want to hear it.
What we hope our pieces do
Our aspiration is small and specific. We want to make beautiful sculptural planters that people are proud to have in their homes. If those planters also spark curiosity about the traditions that inspired them, that is a bonus we value.
We are not the custodians of these traditions. We are admirers who happen to work in cast stone. Admire honestly, make carefully, stay open to learning. Not a slogan , a way of working.
Our companion piece "The sculptural traditions that changed global art" covers Nok, Ife, and Benin sculpture in detail.
Further reading: Historic England | Dezeen
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