Conveying Culture and Economic Development

The concept for Kasa Impressions began with the idea that products are not mere economic units; they are also conveyers of culture.  Goods and services relay stories through their design, imagery, tradition and use.  With this in mind the plight of those in developing countries becomes more sophisticated:
 

• Many countries rely on a limited set of exportable goods for economic growth and sustainability.
• Due to this limited scope of exports these economies have unrealized growth potential.
• As a result many stories are yet to be conveyed and so global perceptions of developing countries remain incomplete.

 

The inherent parallel between limitations in exportable goods and limited cultural stories leave these countries underdeveloped both economically and in the global imagination both of which generate real world impact.  In a cyclical fashion the reliance on a limited set of exportable goods directly stunts economic growth.  A lack of socioeconomic representation leads to global misperceptions resulting in a lack of awareness, constructive support and investment. 

For example:  Many view the African continent as a place for charity only and not a place for investment but few realize that 10 of the 53 African countries achieved over 7% GDP growth in 2007.   

Many are familiar with the troubles within Africa such as war, poverty and disease but these media-highlighted realities are not proportional to the experiences across the continent and more importantly, these isolated realities are not the center of life there.  Missing from the narrative is the context for these realities and the tangible human stories that do not solely portray victimhood; the day to day lives of our global peers, similar to our everyday life.  This limited context hinders our understanding and our ability to form an accurate and holistic view of various people groups and solutions to their challenges. For those responsible consumers and business owners who seek to contribute to the growth of underdeveloped economies, it is important to move away from solely supporting existing products and current economic structures as it is this which has rendered these countries underdeveloped.    

We at Kasa Impressions seek to promote economic growth in developing countries by supporting the aspirations of small business owners whose unconventional and innovative exports will stimulate industry.  By providing opportunities to access larger markets, sustained growth will be realized.  We focus on finished goods to encourage further development of local value chains which in turn will yield greater profits for these local businesses as well as contributing to the overall vitality of trade and economic development within their localities. Small business innovation is the foundation of a healthy economy, so any serious effort towards development must include the promotion of this sector.

The concept for our company was inspired by the array of rich artistic traditions found within various developing countries.  Many painters, carvers, musicians, story tellers and culinary artists are missing the opportunity to contribute to world art due to a lack of exposure in the affluent markets of the world.    

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Art and Influence

Art is a carrier and preserver of culture.  As such, it plays a vital role in forming perceptions about people and places, opening a space for them to exist in the minds of those outside of their experience.  Unfortunately, art from the developing world is rarely placed in the upper echelons alongside ‘Fine Art’ for a number of reasons: It is underrepresented in the Western world where art is evaluated according to a set of criterion established within Western artistic tradition.  Another reason is that prevalent perceptions of the developing world remain stagnant.  Also, provenance and authorship is rarely a consideration for a buyer purchasing art from developing countries whereas provenance and authorship is a significant aspect of Western art.

Consequently, many works of art are viewed purely as ‘cultural’ or ‘folkloric’, while mainstream art enjoys multiple categorizations such as abstract, impressionist, renaissance etc...  Fortunately, there is a wealth of artistic products in the developing world quietly waiting for export.  Given the opportunity, they will add new dimensions to art and stretch existing ones.
 
At Kasa Impressions we intend to promote the inclusion of less-accessible art into a broader marketplace to balance the global narrative and enable a more genuine cultural exchange.