There are few countries around the world that have proven immunity to the rise of fast fashion. Companies based on the concept of cheaply made “buy now, throw it away later” clothing and household items are booming, especially with the rise of online shopping.
Influenced by globalization and media representation, heritage crafts such as traditional African textiles, hand-woven fabrics, detailed beadwork, and traditional dyeing methods are alienated and often dismissed as outdated or reserved for ceremonial use.
The African continent, particularly West Africa, has, of course, a rich history dating back thousands of years of traditional textiles and heritage crafts. Born from the Ashanti Kingdom of Ghana, Kent fabric is rich in vibrant colors and patterns, and was originally used only for royalty and sacred rituals. Coat Daiboir's Corhogo fabric is made by the people of Cenufo and features colorful images of animals, people and geometric designs.
Counterculture Revival
However, despite the global onslaught, the popularity of heritage crafts has once again risen, growing most rapidly among generations separated from traditional cultural craftsmanship in the face of an increase in globalization. What began as a counterculture revival movement was to introduce traditional African crafts to new audiences on the global stage.
Amaka Osakwe is a Nigerian designer who founded a Lagos-based fashion label in 2010. Her iconic brand signature look is the use of Adire, a traditional Yoruba indigo-dyed textile that revolves around modern Ogun and Osun states in western Nigeria.
These prints traditionally conveyed a message and observation. Sakwe reuses traditional motifs and invents himself by combining tradition with modernity. “If we continue to do what we've done, hand-drawn, hand-dyed,” it's real,” she explained to the New Yorker.
In her early collections, Osakuwe made fringes from Sato Oke, a Yoruba hand-woven fabric. The 2013 collection featured clothing traditionally in western silhouettes, including blouses and pencil skirts made from traditional Nigerian fabrics and prints.
The dyeing process, all performed by hand, can take months and months, but she ensures that the efforts involved in the creation of today's clothing will enjoy its rewards. Oskwe's creations are worn by celebrities such as Beyoncé, Lupita Nyongo and Michelle Obama, and showcase collections at New York Fashion Week, Fashion Institute of Technology, and New York Fashion Week at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery in the UK, celebrate African cultural heritage and showcase the global fashion stage.
The roots of the beads
Just as textiles are beadwork, they are important for the narrative of pan-African history. Regions and tribes across the continent have unique styles, patterns and meanings associated with beadwork, and bead designs and patterns serve a variety of functions, from showing social status to playing a ritual role.
Beadwork is not only an artistic form of expression, but also represents defining moments in life, such as birth, marriage, or death. Their shape and design vary across the continent. The Zuluzians of South Africa are famous for their beadwork, characterized by bright, bold geometric patterns. In West Africa, glass chevron beads, originally from Venice, are most common as they were frequently used in interactions with Dutch traders in the 1500s.
South African designer Laduma Ngxokolo incorporates traditional tribal beadwork practices into his work. Many of these are fusions of traditional beadwork patterns with modern knitwear. Inspired by Xhosa Cultural Motifs, in 2011 he founded the brand Maxhosa Africa with the aim of exploring the concept of bold and bright knitwear that celebrates the design of traditional Xhosa beadwork, using traditional South African materials such as Mohair and Wool.
Speaking to Sable Network, Ngxokolo explained when establishing the brand, “setting up a vision to showcase the incredible beauty of the people of Xhosa and “translating it in a modern way that appeals to young people (that is) influenced by international trends.”
And it didn't take long for his vision to come true. Ngxokolo showed off his work in Berlin, London and New York. In March this year, he presented his Umbrero collection at Paris Fashion Week. Taking from Isixhosha's thanks, Ngxokolo described the collection as “a love letter to (his) ancestors” in an interview with News 24.
Ironically, it may seem ironic that one of the precursors of modernity, social media, has created a revival of traditional African heritage crafts and interest in the skills, stories and importance behind these artisan practices. French photographer Nybe Ponzio shares her photos on Instagram as @visualsbyponzio. A shot of everyday life in Mali, including a group of children in traditional Marian dresses and women braiding each other's hair. His images, exhibiting traditional African heritage in shining technicolor, are enthusiastically “liked” by audiences around the world.
Senegalese artist Samba JJ will post on Instagram under @lejardinjolof. With an impressive 19,000 global followers, his page is dedicated to images of traditional African crafts such as jewelry and tribal masks. In an interview with Muse Origins, he said, “I wanted to bring traditional masks back to life for a modern audience.”
Like many heritage concepts, traditional African artistry must be adapted to survive. And Samba is not the only artist to adapt its centuries-old tradition and importance to the world's audience.
The meaning of beadwork has also evolved over the years, and these beautiful decorations are no longer used solely to decorate jewelry, shoes and clothing.
Nigerian artist Ranle Braymoimo led the way towards the Beadwork Renaissance by creating intricately detailed paintings depicting the cultural symbols of Yoruba using thousands of bold and beautiful glass beads.
Buraimoh described this unique visual art form as “bead painting,” and in an interview with Vanguard described the method he chose as “a way to translate his inner vision into realism.”
Bold and beautiful, his work depicts traditional Yoruba themes and concepts, including traditional beliefs, love, animals, and family units. His 2019 work The Kiss depicts two intertwined bodies embracing each other under the moon, while the 2011 work hut depicts colorful houses gathered under a blue sky. Braymoimo's works are exhibited all over the world, including Nigeria, Denmark, the UK, and the US.
He has received multiple international acclaim from institutions, including the American Art Award and the African American exhibit.
Factory replica
However, the challenges remain. The rise of large-scale tourism into Africa has flooded the market with the risks of replicas made in cheap factories, affecting artists' incomes, diluting the cultural importance of these crafts and passing them across generations. Community groups such as Kenyan women's group Satubo will train the next generation of artisans, provide a viable income stream for rural women, and provide skills and training to maintain these ancient skill sets. In a world dominated by speed and convenience, the revival of traditional African artistry exists as a powerful act of cultural resilience and creative renaissance.
Immered in symbolism, identity and history, these crafts are not only historical practices, but living, evolving art forms that continue to speak to new generations. The talented hands of designers such as Amaka Osakwe and Laduma Ngxokolo, and the visions of artists such as Lanre Buraimoh and Samba JJ have redefined, praised and projected Africa's artistic heritage into a global stage.
