After more than 25 years of living all over Africa, Anja and Jumbe Sebunya have an incredible collection of art from artists from Senegal, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique and more. These pieces create the backbone of their decor, filling their home with color.
“We both love contemporary visual art, so it’s filled with art that’s very bright with vibrant colors,” said Anja. “We started collecting in Ghana in the early ’90s.”
They are also looking to blend the art they see in Atlanta’s art scene with the work they collected during their years in Africa.
“I looked at some of the contemporary artists from Atlanta, and got one or two pieces from here as well just to see how much dialogue we could develop in conversation between artists,” said Jumbe. “We’re very passionate about it.”
Their love of African art is so great that this year the couple began aKAZ!ATL, a startup specializing in African contemporary art and design. They work with African artists and artists from Atlanta, building marketing opportunities and creating space for a narrative about Africa that is about coping, resilience, innovation and transformational beauty.
“Our startup is to create a space for those encounters to happen between what is happening on the African continent and here in Atlanta and the Southeast,” said Anja. “Hopefully we can curate collections of art and design, interior decoration and jewelry.”
Their home will be on the Old Fourth Ward Tour of Homes on Sept. 22.
Snapshot
Residents: Anja and Jumbe Sebunya. Anja is an executive assistant at Atlanta International School, and Jumbe is a retired international humanitarian assistance executive with Care. He is also the owner of a startup specializing in African contemporary art and design called aKAZ!ATL.
Location: Old Fourth Ward
Size: 1,900 square feet with three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms
Year built/bought: 2018
Builder: Rob Morel with C3 Companies Inc.
Developer: Karim Shariff with PacificPoint Realty, LLC
Architectural style: Modern
Favorite architectural elements: Sleek lines and light-filled rooms, loft area
Interior design styles: Modern with African art and decor
Favorite interior design elements: African art collected over many years of living in Africa, Senegalese desk made from glass and an oil drum.
Favorite outdoor features: Juliet balcony in master bedroom, deck
Resources: Furniture and decor from Crate & Barrel, West Elm, Kudzu Antiques + Modern, Macy's and Target. Art by Assane Gning, Ablade Glover, Dede Ly, Ndouts Ndoye, Abdoulaye Diallo, Saadio Diallo, Anne Marie Gabel'art, Magupela and others. Kitchen appliances by Bosch.
CONTACT US
If you have a beautifully designed home in the Atlanta area, we’d love to feature you! Email Shannon.N.Dominy@gmail.com for more info.
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