GROW WITH US

About

Africalis is more than a jewelry brand – it is a celebration of talent, lifelong skills and dedication to community upliftment..

Meet our founders

Jessica Deutsch

As a long standing women business owner, Jessica is passionate about empowering women in all creative fields.
The inception of bringing Africalis to a global audience through her Company Arts to Life LLC in New York started in a village in Mphumalanga, South Africa, where she handed a group of women pieces of charcoal from the fire and showed them how to draw. Their reaction was of discovering magic.
That transformative moment sparked this new artistic journey along with her South African counterparts.
Jessica’s career over thirty years starting at Sotheby’s New York and then with her company Arts to Life, has embraced all fields of fine and decorative art as well as jewelry.
She has operated out of New York; London and South Africa leading studies exploring the arts past and present and lecturing internationally.
Focus in the last decade on African Art has led to the curation and mounting of exhibitions of emerging artists; exploring the rise of digital art and exploring NFTS by artists from across Africa. Pop up exhibitions in America continue to champion emerging Contemporary artists.
Her affinity to the jewelry of Mano Christelis has allowed for his exposure to collectors in London, Paris and Milan and most recently at Art Basil, Miami. She is thrilled to now have a team to take the work beyond artist studio to a brand identity.

Jessica Deutsch

 Mano Christelis 

Inspired by his childhood memories at his father’s sweet factory in Johannesburg, Mano has been creating vibrant multihued resin beads for over 30 years making a distinct statement for jewelry in South Africa and internationally. Through carefully sculpted moulds and enjoying the fluidity of resin he brings fantastical shapes to life.  With expert knowledge and decades of experience he dribbles and splashes colors to create translucent forms mimicking international abstract art. His jewelry reflects his imagination of a spinning Galaxy and a spiritual universe. He merges his talent into Africalis to expand his vision for an international audience.

 Mano Christelis 

Gerald Judelman

Gerald Judelman brings his business acumen and extensive knowledge of management as retired shareholder and director of a leading international project management company in the construction industry to Africalis.  As a dedicated art patron, he hosts exhibitions of emerging artists at his hotel, The Gateway Hotel, South Africa.  He owns property in rural Mpumalanga, where he offers training and opportunities for skilled labour from the nearby village, demonstrating his commitment to empowering the local community.  His focus has now extended to supporting talented young women to engage with Africalis.

Gerald Judelman

Artisans of Africalis

Young women from the rural village adjacent to our founders property are discovering and nurturing their talent and creative abilities in Africalis’ local workshop.  Situated deep in the mountains, far removed from city life and employment opportunity, these women are now able to explore their creative abilities. Through training and assembling Africalis designs they have found new career paths and opportunity for personal growth. As we continue to expand this initiative we are committed to supporting and empowering them for defined roles in growing our brand and self realization.