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CraftVillageUK is a web portal for a community of soapstone carvers in Kenya designed to allow them to sell their intricate carvings directly to consumers worldwide. According to their website, the carvers earn four times as much per sculpture by selling through the web, and their earnings represent a significant increase in quality of life. Unfortunately, these skilled carvers - descended from a long line of historic soapstone carvers in the region - are being asked to carve portraits of the cartoon characters from the Simpsons, which are then sold for $75 through the website. It seems in bad taste to promote local economy by imposing cultural forms from US mass media - but most importantly, would these pop statuettes sell if they were listed on the website alongside examples of traditional (regional) carving?
. Leo is a artist, inventor and all around practical person in the Tangible Media Group at the Media Lab. He has a background in sculpture, architecture and industrial design as well as an MS from the Media Lab spent working on the kitchen of the future. He is on a search for truth.
