The greatest fun in cultivating a conscious and sustainable lifestyle is connecting with handmade goods and the artists that create them. Celebrating creativity and small-batch craftsmanship is at the heart of merge. Amongst the amazing creatives we collaborate with, BIPOC Artists specifically bring unique perspectives and provoke originality that excite the space.
Supporting BIPOC Artists is a core value of living consciously and sustainably.
Reflecting on how we cultivate a conscious and sustainable lifestyle is interwoven through how we chose to be kind to the planet, the people around us, and ourselves.
Oprah Daily says, “ The idea of a color blind society, while well intentioned, leaves people without the language to discuss race and examine their own bias.”
Conscious and sustainable consumers are aware of the systemic barriers, racial wealth gaps, and racial bias still prominent in Canada for people of colour. When we ignore these racial differences, and challenge ‘colour blindness’ we embody allyship and empower movements promoting equity.
Shopping BIPOC products is an act of allyship.
Supporting BIPOC Creatives is an act towards:
- Closing the Racial Wealth Gap,
- Strengthening Local Economies,
- Celebrating BIPOC Culture,
- Holding Corporations Accountable
- and Improving Visibility and Representation in the Conscious Lifestyle Economy
BIPOC Artists at Merge
Jessie Pruden - Bead ‘n Butter
Jessie harnesses inspiration from her friends, family, nature and culture when planning her fun and colourful designs. Bead ‘n Butter earrings explore traditional colour palettes, satisfying chevron balayages and graceful shapes.
Identifying as a queer, disabled, Metis woman, Jessie can find colour and light immersed throughout her community which she can then channel into her contemporary designs. Our team is thrilled anytime we get a refill of Bead n’ Butter jewelry to the shop.
Monika Man - MMANN Candles
MMANN Candles is a woman of colour owned business founded by first generation Canadian, Monika Mann. With immigrant parents from India, Monika designs and produces MMANN candles while her younger sister handles the creative design and photography.
“Every Candle is made by hand with love and authenticity. It sounds corny, but the candles represent and extend into something bigger! They represent each of us in our perfectly imperfect humanness. Some of them melt weird, sometimes they develop a little frost, sometimes the colour is a little bit more unique than others, but the truth is, they're honest.” - Monika Mann
Kezna Dalz - Teenadult
Kezna Dalz is a painter taking Montreal by a storm. Her paintings express black culture, feminism, anti-racism, and sexuality through an accessible dance of bold colours and raw features.
Kezna Dalz / Teenadult works in both paint and digital mediums and has collaborated with multiple brands including Converse, Little Burgundy, and Houseplant. She also finds time to collaborate with social enterprises in alignment with her values including, Women’s Centre for Creativity, Black Healing Centre, Tel-Jeunes, and Fondation Massimadi.
Robin Wall Kimmerer - Braiding Sweetgrass
Many of us have seen Braiding Sweetgrass passed amongst friends and family. For those of us who have read the pages, we’ll never see ‘inanimate’ objects the same. Instead, we’ll carry the wonder, humility, and connection Robin opens our eyes to. Jane Goodall agrees that this extraordinary book shows, “---how the factual, objective approach of science can be enriched by the ancient knowledge of the indigenous people.”
Living in Syracuse, New York Robin is a mother, scientist, SUNY distinguished professor and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. When you read Braiding Sweetgrass, you can feel how much love Robin has for her ancestors' traditions, her community, and the world around her.
Erin Niimi Longhurst - A Little Book of Japanese Contentments
BIPOC Artist, Erin Niimi Longhurts is a British/Japanese author in New York and London. Her writings Japonisme, Omoiyari, and our favourite: A Little Book of Japanese Contentments are influenced by her dual heritage and focuses on her connection with Japanese culture for a more mindful and gratified life.
We have a lot to learn from the Japanese art of living well. With the longest healthy lifespans in the world, Japanese rituals promote happier and more balanced lives. A Little Book of Japanese Contentments is richly illustrated and overflowing with snackable rituals we can all apply to our conscious living journeys.
Alicia Elliot - A Mind Spread Out On The Ground
Award winning and bestselling Tuscarora author Alicia Elliot has been celebrated for her honest Indigenous Literature, articles, and short stories. Living in Brantford, Ontario Alicia’s works are often complemented for their insightful depth, wit, and heart.
Hauntingly touching, A Mind Spread Out On The Ground is a bold, honest telling of trauma and oppression to Indigenous people in North America. Within these pages Alicia covers vulnerability across a wide range of topics including mental illness, writing, race, love, parenthood, assault, and colonialism.
Non-indigenous readers say they will come back to these essays often and it’s safe to say we’re all eagerly awaiting her next book.