Constance — 10 Years of making metals talk

Saturday, May 22, 2010 (The Mirror Pg 3)

By Rebecca Kwei
Oscar Wilde, the Irish writer and poet, said, “A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament”, and for Accents and Arts, a company that deals in furnishing and decor, it’s been 10 years of unique and creative exploration.
While most companies in the furnishing and decor business use mainly wood, Accents and Art, very early in its business, realised the need to break away from that and use the finest quality iron.
Using metal and blending it with the language of art, vision and imagination, Accents and Art manufactures chairs, gates, balustrade (a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling), sculpture, chaise lounges, bar stools, desk chairs, tables, consoles, chandeliers, curtain rods, light, lamps, mirrors and other products with a touch of class.
According to Ms Constance Swaniker, the Managing Director and Founder of Accents and Art, the company was established to rediscover the striking and artistic nature of wrought iron.
She said over the years, the company had gone on to skilfully blend wood with glass and various materials to bring out the splendour of metal art.
Having gone through the showroom on the factory premises located at Bubiashie, a suburb of Accra, I realised that products from Accents and Art have a unique look; the pleasant designs draw one to them — a mixture of traditional and contemporary designs, the twists, folds, scrolls not normally associated with metal and high-end finishes which are missing in most items produced in Ghana.
“Every design, every product is very well thought of before it comes out. The artistic element makes it different from what you see of others in the same business. We focus on how the iron details of flowers and leaves make ordinary products like fences, gates and chandeliers extraordinary,” Ms Swaniker emphasised.
From humble beginnings of three workers using very basic hand tools, the company now boasts 38 workers using sophisticated industrial machines.
Her clients include hotels and lodges, restaurants/bars, corporate institutions, churches, boutiques, malls, shops and private individuals.
The company was registered in May 2000 as a sole proprietorship but became a limited liability company from November last year.
Most Ghanaians do not take the arts and sculpture seriously and it is also a venture not taken seriously.
However, Ms Swaniker notes that “over the years, the growing middle-class in Ghana are beginning to appreciate fine art and are very particular about their homes. Some have also travelled extensively and they know the value of quality art pieces so the demand is high”.
Additionally, she said the real estate business was very vibrant, making the demand for functional art high.
On why she chose to use metal, she said getting access to wood was becoming difficult and there was, therefore, the need to explore other areas other than the traditional wood. Additionally, she said metal tended to be cheap and lasted longer.
Over the last 10 years, Accents and Art has carved a niche for itself and developed a brand that adds an artistic touch, such that Ms Swaniker says, “Someone sees an art piece somewhere and immediately knows it’s from Accents and Art.”
However, like every venture, it has not been entirely smooth sailing. Ms Swaniker says there have been challenges.
A main challenge, she said, was finance and that several banks did not find small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) attractive enough to do business with.
The high interest rates on loans, according to her, also did not help businesses grow.
She pulled out and showed me an article titled, “Interest rates ‘killing’ economy” published in the African Business magazine.
The article indicated that interest rates charged by Ghana’s commercial banks were the highest in Africa and second highest in the world.
She called on Ghanaian banks to lower interest rates so that small businesses could access loans to grow. She also urged the government to identify key businesses which had potential and create a special fund for them to meet their specific needs.
But over the years, doing good jobs has opened a lot of doors for Accents and Art.
The company also got a grant from the World Bank, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and that led to a team of consultants helping to put modern systems and structures in place for the company to operate till now.
She noted that when businesses were helped to grow, the ripple effect it had on society, such as creating employment for the many unemployed youth, was enormous.
“We need to encourage SMEs that it is possible to grow small businesses to this level, using my company as an example,” she said.
Having established Accents and Art at the young age of 26, Ms Swaniker also believes that young people ought to be given a chance to prove themselves.
Being a woman operating in a male-dominated field, she said she was actively involved in every process of manufacturing the products.
She also doubles as the Creative Director.
Ms Swaniker is an artist and sculptor by profession. She holds a degree in Fine Art (Sculpture option) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
As the company celebrates its 10th anniversary, Ms Swaniker is working hard to consolidate the gains made as a medium-scale business. She is also anxious to move the company on to a bigger scale, while continuing to delight her clients with exceptional quality furnishing and decor.
As part of activities to mark 10 years of achievements, there will be a special exhibition of works from Accents and Art on its premises at Bubiashie at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 27.