Carved with Care: Venture Imports

When I started building Vudora Marie, I wasn’t just looking for beautiful things—I was searching for meaningful ones. Pieces with soul. Stories. Roots.

So when I came across Venture Imports, something clicked deep inside me.

Here was a company rooted in dignity, justice, and beauty. A company that partners with women artisans in Kenya—mothers, daughters, sisters—who hand-carve each soapstone piece with care and tradition. They aren’t just crafting art… they’re building futures.

A machete slices through a hunk of stone. The rhythm of carving, passed down through generations, echoes in the hills of Kenya. Laughter rises as women gather to sand each piece smooth under water, the scent of rain-soaked earth all around them. Later, with simple tools and steady hands, they etch intricate patterns and polish the surface until it gleams.

And then—thousands of miles later—those pieces arrive here. In your hands. In mine. Carried across oceans, across stories, across lives.

When I held my first Work in Progress Heart, I felt it. The connection. The purpose. The hope.

These aren’t mass-produced objects. They’re intentional. They’re fair trade. They help women earn income, send their children to school, build homes, and start their own businesses. They give families a chance to dream bigger.

And in a way, they helped me do the same.

Because every time I curate something for Vudora Marie, I think about what it means to begin again. To rebuild with care. To choose joy, even in hard seasons. Our partnership with Venture Imports reflects all of that—and more.

To Jennie, who founded this incredible company after a college trip to South Africa sparked her passion for fair trade—thank you. To the team in Chicago and the artisans in Kenya—thank you. Your work is more than beautiful. It’s powerful.

And to you, reading this: When you buy one of these hand-carved soapstone pieces, you’re holding more than a sculpture. You’re holding resilience. Tradition. Hope. You’re helping a child stay in school. You’re helping a mother provide. You’re continuing a legacy that began with a blade, a stone, and a dream.

That’s what Vudora Marie is all about—making space for the stories that shape us.

✨ With love, Christy

Check out some more of the sculpted works from the artisans at Venture Imports below.