Efrat Shaked
Multidisciplinary designer and photographer. Initiated “NamasToy” after some years of independent toy research whilst traveling.
A Journey Beyond Disappearing Toys
When I travel and live in India, my curiosity is endless
I walk as a child discovering life again and as a woman watching in admiration of the locals and their ability to enjoy the little things, to live simply with what there is, to create whatever is needed from what exists.
This experience of travelling came from my love of nature, of simplicity and human wisdom. The curiosity to explore other cultures has led me to an independent research on handmade objects starting 5 years ago. Once the research developed, it naturally focused on handmade TOYS.
I discovered that throughout Asia, a great variety of traditional toys are still made by hand. Traditional toys reflect the local custom, legends, and environment in which they were created.
These days, handmade toys are not easy to find anymore…day by day they are disappearing and melting into plastic…
My principal aim, whenever I discover a new toy, is to find the story behind it. The more I meet and talk personally with the artists, the families and the children, the more complex the puzzle becomes…
Biography
Efrat Shaked is an HIT graduate Israeli Product Designer, who focuses on social, ecological and economic issues.
She has traveled, lived and experienced many places around the globe: Africa, South America, Italy, Nepal and India - to name a few.
Her first visit to India, 2007, inspired her deeply and led her to a long love affair with India. She has spent long periods in India concentrating on studying the culture through photography, travelling and personal experiences and encounters. She completed Professional Photography studies in Allahabad University thanks to an ICCR scholarship.
She took part in the establishment of the Israeli Design Center, Holon, and has exhibited in many group exhibitions in Israel and abroad, has written articles for different websites and magazines. Her Award winning photographs have been published in various books and magazines. So far, she has presented 3 solo exhibitions on Indian culture oriented topics: "Handmade in India" (Holon), "Holy – Ganga – Water" (Varanasi) and “NamasToy” (Holon).
Efrat lectures and conducts workshops through experiential education for children and adults, teaching how to create toys. Currently, she spends part of her time in India and part in Israel – connecting East and West.
Efrat lectures and conducts workshops through experiential education for children and adults, teaching how to create toys. Currently, she spends part of her time in India and part in Israel – connecting East and West.
Personal websites