Speakers
Emmanuel D’Offay
Executive Director
Creative Agency Seychelles
Graduated from the University of Thessaloniki, Greece with a bachelor in art. His entire professional career in art has been that of teacher from 1978, Curator, speaker and antique collector and special Advisor to the Minister for Culture.
He is now Executive Director of the Creative Seychelles Agency, a section in the newly formed Seychelles National Cultural Institute. The Creative Seychelles Agency has a specific mandate of promoting the Arts and so far, much has been achieved through participation in international fairs, Biennale de Venice, Carrousel du Louvre and several workshops held in collaboration with ZeeArts and other stake holders.
Emmanuel d’Offay is a well-known Seychellois Artist, both national and international specially wit his conviction and determination in exposing the cruelty of slavery and human trafficking.
Zaahirah Muthy
Moderator/Founder
ZeeArts Gallery
Hailing from Mauritius, Zaahirah Muthy is an artist-activist, curator who engages art as an agent for change in the creative industry. She is the founder of ZeeArts, a global art organization that connects artists from across the world and strongly advocates for female artists, through Art Connects Women which is on its 7th Edition.
She has received numerous accolades which include the Oscar in Artistis, Youth Leadership awards, the Leonardo Da Vinci Universal Artist Award in Florence, Italy, Artists of the year, the best female curator in Spain and Femina Leadership award in Mumbai. She was the first Mauritian featured as the Titans of Africa, in 2021.
Zaahirah has curated over 85 art exhibitions in various countries; and as an artist, she is putting up her 7th solo shows. Zaahirah is the ambassador of WIA, Women in Africa and has launched the Africa Speaks-54.
Nanda Narrainen
Creative Director
Economic Development Board
Nanda Narrainen is the Head of Creative Industry at the Economic Development Board. He also heads other departments for the promotion of Sports Economy and SheTrades at EDB.
Nanda has also been instrumental in the development of the Film Industry since 2009, and in the full implementation of the Film Rebate Scheme in 2013. He has also contributed into several government agencies as Board Member and has contributed to the formulation and implementation of several policy and strategy changes to position Mauritius as an attractive destination for trade and investment.
He has developed extensive skills in investment promotion, policy formulation and business facilitation and has always fostered close networking with the media and industries stakeholders. He has over 33 years of working experience and holds a Master of Business Administration (Marketing) degree from the University of Lincoln (UK). He is also a Chartered Marketer and holds several professional qualifications.
Dr. Fauzia Delsol
Founder
Wax and Looms
Dr. Delsol has a bachelor degree in Biochemistry, masters’ degree in Environmental Science and a PhD in Agro ecology. A Ghana born Global citizen resident in Mauritius.
As a development expert, her career has always been people and communities centred in Africa and abroad. As a fashion enthusiast, her love for handmade clothing and accessories from Africa is always evident. During her travels around the world, she got local artisans to tailor traditional fabrics with a modern twist that allows her to wear Ghana handmade clothing and accessories everywhere she travelled. With a lot positive feedback received, she was inspired to establish Wax and Looms in Mauritius, a brand that provides handmade clothing, accessories and home decor using fabrics made with traditional techniques of cloth making by Wax and weaving by Looms.
Handmade in Ghana and Mauritius and accessible globally, her hope is not only to make available authentic products that can be used by all, but also to share the stories, culture and traditions of the producing communities and use fashion as an agent of change and sustainable development.
Kevin Sew
Architect
Slavery Museum
Kevin is an Architect and was involved with Hodesco since its beginning 13 years ago. He has contributed in building the business from scratch with a considerable focus on Client Satisfaction, one of the core values of Hospitality. Hodesco is specialised in developing business and buildings for Hotel Groups. They have in their portfolio the Sofitel So Mauritius of the Accor Group, the Royal Palm Marrakech by Beachcomber in Morocco, the exclusive Luxury Plantation d’Albion Villas.
Kevin used to work as a Project Manager responsible of coordinating and driving a team of consultants comprising architects, engineers, quantity surveyors but also the contractors and sub-contractors. More recently, He has appointed to co-direct the museography and scenography of the Intercontinental Slavery Museum in Port-Louis, together with the French Embassy, the Institut Français de Maurice and ENSA de Nantes-Mauritius.
Zia Gopee
Founder
Musea
With professional experience in designing, establishing, executing, and promoting educational programs and activities related to museums, Zia Gopee is the founder and director of Musea.
After completing his Bachelor's degree in Art History & Archaeology at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, he went further by completing a Master's degree in Art History and Museums Studies at Sorbonne University and Ecole du Louvre.
With an outstanding track record in furnishing museum consulting projects at the national and international level, Zia has also written for various exhibitions. While leading cultural initiatives in Africa and the Gulf region, he has provided advice to private investors, cultural institutions, and companies.
He took the initiative to return to his homeland in 2019 to contribute to the advancement and preservation of art, culture, and heritage in Mauritius.
Isham Delberg
Artist
Gabon
D’emblée les œuvres de Delberg Isham nous mettent face à une réalité incontournable. Non celle d’une actualité pleine d’images bouleversées et belliqueuses, mais un réel qui puise autrement, dans le temps sa propre modernité. Aujourd’hui, il nous revient avec une nouvelle sensibilité, une nouvelle expression, de nouvelles techniques, dans lesquelles il exprime avec force le nouveau personnage qu’il est devenu. Chaque œuvre est un regard posé sur le monde dans lequel nous vivons. Le trait, les détails, le travail nous amènent à la fois à la contemplation et à la réflexion, au rêve et à la réalité ici et ailleurs, il nous séduit une fois de plus par son talent inimitable et inimité.
Orneillia Hector
Artiste Bijoutière
OHM Jewellery
Je m'appelle Orneillia et je suis bijoutière fantaisie depuis 4 ans, ayant fait de ma passion mon métier. Depuis mon enfance, j'ai été passionnée par la création. Par nécessité, en raison de contraintes financières, j'avais rarement la possibilité d'acheter des vêtements neufs. Je récupérais donc les vêtements de mes sœurs pour les customiser et les rendre uniques. Cette passion pour la création s'est ensuite étendue à la fabrication de bijoux, offrant un moyen simple de m'exprimer et de gagner de l'argent. Au fil du temps, la demande a augmenté et j'ai développé un intérêt particulier pour la transformation des matières premières.
Guidée par les conseils d'un ami expérimenté dans l'industrie de la mode, j'ai choisi de me spécialiser dans une technique précise : le micro macramé. Je me suis investie pleinement dans cette technique afin de devenir une professionnelle accomplie. Mon objectif ultime est de devenir une marque de référence internationale, où la main-d'œuvre est exclusivement mauricienne et où les matières premières utilisées sont respectueuses de l'environnement.
Mon parcours dans la bijouterie fantaisie reflète ma passion inébranlable pour la création et mon engagement envers la durabilité. Je suis déterminée à concevoir des bijoux uniques et de haute qualité, tout en contribuant positivement à l'environnement et à l'économie locale.