The Founding Story of Endiro Studios

My name is Yolanda, and I’m the founder of Endiro Studios. I was born in Uganda, but grew up in the UK. Despite an engineering background, I’ve found myself the trader of unique fabrics! This is the story and vision behind my company.

A couple years ago, I had the opportunity to return to Uganda after almost a decade away. That trip changed my life. Two weeks were all it took to plant the seeds of my current vision. The trip was memorable, not because of what I did or where I went, but because of how I felt.

Cut to last year when I was introduced to barkcloth by a local artist, who used it as his medium. I was blown away by the intricacy and depth of his work. The texture of the barkcloth meshed with the brushstrokes to enhance the paint, adding dimension and personality to the piece. Our conversation touched on the history of the material, its significance to the cultural traditions of the southern tribes, its labour-intensive manufacture and uses outside art. It quickly became clear that the possibilities for Barkcloth in the hands of a savvy creative would be endless. The rich history of the material, unique properties, combined with its novelty would make it the new hot babe on the market.

Upon my return to the UK, I quickly learned that barkcloth was near impossible to find outside of Uganda. I thought this to be a great shame as I’d just seen its potential within art and design. I knew there was great potential for its use in art as a canvas, or in design as a sustainable material. That’s where the idea for Endiro Studios was born: to make barkcloth more accessible to western markets, and in time do the same for other unique materials across Africa. 

The name “Endiro” comes from the Luganda word for root/origin. This speaks to the natural origin of barkcloth and its generational histories, surpassing 600 years, and earning a UNESCO Intangible Heritage listing. Studios are known as places where expertise and collaboration come together to innovate and do something new. We want to embody that ethos by not limiting ourselves to just selling unique fabrics. We want to spark creativity, by being experimental. We want to showcase what is possible with our materials in order to inspire others to incorporate barkcloth in their work. Barkcloth is unique in that not many people have heard of it, and as such they might not know what to do with it. 

The idea behind Endiro Studios isn’t just to sell unique fabrics, but rather to showcase a side of Africa that isn’t often seen outside the continent. We want to show the skill and talent held by ordinary people. The results of generational craftsmanship deserve to be available to all.