Akebehi Kpolo
Akebehi Kpolo, OHIRI Creative Director, was born and raised in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in a family where the preservation of African cultural heritage was very important. Therefore, at a very young age, Kpolo understood the need to preserve African cultures & traditions by making them known so that people will understand and grasp their value and importance.
In 2006, after her high-school graduation, Kpolo move to Paris for studying Economics and Sustainable development at Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne University. She obtains an MBA in Economics and Sustainable development in 2012 and starts working as a consultant in Corporate social responsibility.
Studying and working in France, strengthened her sense of self and purpose: “In Paris I saw a lot of misunderstanding about who we are, and African people weren’t seen as I want them to be seen, our stories and culture(s) neither,” says Kpolo.
Thus, jewellery became a conduit for bigger discussions around self and all that we, as Humans, could collectively be. A way to start a conversation, to share her vision and tell her story. Through OHIRI Kpolo presents her multicultural heritage and the diversity of ancient African Savoir-Faire.
The project in 2012 during holidays in Côte d’Ivoire. Kpolo found local artisans. After working with them on updates to existing jewellery, the idea to do more germinated. While working in sustainable development in Paris, she set to work building OHIRI. Today, Kpolo is permanently based in Abidjan and works with artisans from Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire.
Ohiri Studio
