From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application

Richard Acquaye; Naa Omai Sawyerr; Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11

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From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application

Richard Acquaye, Naa Omai Sawyerr, Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi

Published in American Journal of Art and Design (Volume 3, Issue 2)

Received: 11 June 2018 Accepted: 28 June 2018 Published: 28 September 2018

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Abstract

This design experiments convert indigenous West African textile design elements from a limited application in clothing into a breadth of interior design pieces that are expected to have a wider appeal. Textile designing is an integral part of textile production in West Africa and by far the most predominant art practice in the region. Textile production techniques vary from one place to another in the region and some of the common techniques are tie-dyeing, tritik, batik, indigo dying, embroidery, patchwork, appliqué, discharge dyeing, direct printing and resist printing. Designs are developed from sources such as body paintings and tattooing, indigenous symbols, proverbs, occasions and major events, important personalities, natural and artificial objects. Other textile design forms have also evolved from textures produced by the actual processes of fabric construction and the effects of colour variations of yarns such as stripes, bars and checks. However, fabrics are designed mainly for clothing and to some extent craft items and that limits the patronage and application of those fabrics. Furthermore, the processes of designing and production are mainly manual and so reproduction or uniformity in mass productions and mass customisation is besieged with lots of challenges. These design experiments take a more comparative view of the indigenous West African fabrics and the central motifs in the design compositions are Adinkra and Adire and the background referenced Bogolanfini symbols. The human centred design approach was adopted for the practical experiments; it entails as a step-by-step guide to externalise creativity, taken cognisance of the people the designs are meant for. The background data came largely from documentation, archival records, and observation of physical artefacts. This project experiments with a breadth of materials such as lycra, canvas, soft velvet fabrics, foam, wood and techniques for a range of products such as retro chairs, cushions and wall panels.

Published in	American Journal of Art and Design (Volume 3, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11
Page(s)	18-25
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Textile, Design, Indigenous, West Africa, Interior

References

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[3]	Littrell, M. A., (1977). “Ghanaian Wax Print Textiles: View points of Designers, Distributors, Sellers and Consumers”, Ph. D. dissertation, Purdue University.
[4]	Joseph, M. B, (1978). “West African Indigo Cloth”. African Arts, Vol. 11, No. 2, 34-37+95,
[5]	Dieterlen, G., (1951). “Essai sur la Religion Bambara”. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
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[8]	Leeb-du Toit. J, (2010), Reviewed African Costumes and Textiles: From the Berbers to the Zulus. Museum Anthropology Review, Vol 4, No 1 (2010)
[9]	Nielsen, R., (1979), “The History and Development of Wax-printed Textiles, Intended for West Africa and Zaire”, in J. M. Cordwell and R. A. Schwarz (ed.), The Fabric of Culture. The Hague: Mouton Publishers, 467 – 498.
[10]	Antubam, K. (1963). “Ghana’s Heritage of Culture”. Leipzig: Koehler & Amelang.
[11]	Asihene, E. (2004). “A Brief History of Art”. Accra: Woeli Publishing Services.
[12]	Isiguzo, A. I. (2005). “African Culture and Symbolism: A Rediscovery of the Seam of a Fragmented Identity”. [Online] Available at http://www.crvp.org/seminar/05seminar/AndrewIfeanyi.htm. [Accessed on 5th July 2017]
[13]	Sparke, P. (2015). The Modern Interior: A Space, a Place or a Matter of Taste? Interiors, 1:1, 7-17, [Online] Available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/204191210791602276 DOI: 10.2752/204191210791602276. [Accessed on 17th January 2018.
[14]	Trieste, L. & Courier, W. (2017). Art Deco glamour still finds appeal in modern day interiors. [Online] Available at https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/wentworth-courier/art-deco-glamour-still-finds-appeal-in-modern-day-interiors/news-story/60367b9c7bdf0b59b118a1bc89333ad5 [Accessed on 17th January 2018]
[15]	IDEO, (2015). The Field Guide to Human Centred Designs. 1st Edition. [Online] Available at http://bestgraz.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Field-Guide-to-Human-CenteredDesign _ IDEOorg.pdf [12th August 2017]
[16]	Chapman, J. (2005), Emotionally Durable Design: Objects, Experiences and Empathy, Earthscan Publishers, London.
[17]	Giacomin J. (2012). What is Human Centred Design? Human Centred Design Institute, Uxbridge - United Kingdom, Brunel University [Online] Available at: http://hcdi.brunel. ac.uk/files/What%20is%20Human%20Centred%20Design.pdf. [Accessed on 10th January 2017]
[18]	Stanford Social Innovation Review (2010). Acumen HCD Workshop. An Introduction To Human-Centered Design, [Online] Available at http://plusacumen.org/wp-content/ uploads/2014/04/Class_1_readings.pdf [Accessed on 17th January 2018]
[19]	Kleinman, K., et al. (2011). After Taste: Expanded Practice in Interior Design. Princeton Architectural Press. [Online] Available at http://ebookcentral. proquest.com/lib/sotone books/detail.action?docID=3387561 [Accessed on 20th May 2018].

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APA Style

Richard Acquaye, Naa Omai Sawyerr, Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi. (2018). From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application. American Journal of Art and Design, 3(2), 18-25. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11

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ACS Style

Richard Acquaye; Naa Omai Sawyerr; Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi. From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application. Am. J. Art Des. 2018, 3(2), 18-25. doi: 10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11

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AMA Style

Richard Acquaye, Naa Omai Sawyerr, Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi. From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application. Am J Art Des. 2018;3(2):18-25. doi: 10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11,
  author = {Richard Acquaye and Naa Omai Sawyerr and Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi},
  title = {From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application},
  journal = {American Journal of Art and Design},
  volume = {3},
  number = {2},
  pages = {18-25},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajad.20180302.11},
  abstract = {This design experiments convert indigenous West African textile design elements from a limited application in clothing into a breadth of interior design pieces that are expected to have a wider appeal. Textile designing is an integral part of textile production in West Africa and by far the most predominant art practice in the region. Textile production techniques vary from one place to another in the region and some of the common techniques are tie-dyeing, tritik, batik, indigo dying, embroidery, patchwork, appliqué, discharge dyeing, direct printing and resist printing. Designs are developed from sources such as body paintings and tattooing, indigenous symbols, proverbs, occasions and major events, important personalities, natural and artificial objects. Other textile design forms have also evolved from textures produced by the actual processes of fabric construction and the effects of colour variations of yarns such as stripes, bars and checks. However, fabrics are designed mainly for clothing and to some extent craft items and that limits the patronage and application of those fabrics. Furthermore, the processes of designing and production are mainly manual and so reproduction or uniformity in mass productions and mass customisation is besieged with lots of challenges. These design experiments take a more comparative view of the indigenous West African fabrics and the central motifs in the design compositions are Adinkra and Adire and the background referenced Bogolanfini symbols. The human centred design approach was adopted for the practical experiments; it entails as a step-by-step guide to externalise creativity, taken cognisance of the people the designs are meant for. The background data came largely from documentation, archival records, and observation of physical artefacts. This project experiments with a breadth of materials such as lycra, canvas, soft velvet fabrics, foam, wood and techniques for a range of products such as retro chairs, cushions and wall panels.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application
AU  - Richard Acquaye
AU  - Naa Omai Sawyerr
AU  - Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi
Y1  - 2018/09/28
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11
T2  - American Journal of Art and Design
JF  - American Journal of Art and Design
JO  - American Journal of Art and Design
SP  - 18
EP  - 25
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-7802
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11
AB  - This design experiments convert indigenous West African textile design elements from a limited application in clothing into a breadth of interior design pieces that are expected to have a wider appeal. Textile designing is an integral part of textile production in West Africa and by far the most predominant art practice in the region. Textile production techniques vary from one place to another in the region and some of the common techniques are tie-dyeing, tritik, batik, indigo dying, embroidery, patchwork, appliqué, discharge dyeing, direct printing and resist printing. Designs are developed from sources such as body paintings and tattooing, indigenous symbols, proverbs, occasions and major events, important personalities, natural and artificial objects. Other textile design forms have also evolved from textures produced by the actual processes of fabric construction and the effects of colour variations of yarns such as stripes, bars and checks. However, fabrics are designed mainly for clothing and to some extent craft items and that limits the patronage and application of those fabrics. Furthermore, the processes of designing and production are mainly manual and so reproduction or uniformity in mass productions and mass customisation is besieged with lots of challenges. These design experiments take a more comparative view of the indigenous West African fabrics and the central motifs in the design compositions are Adinkra and Adire and the background referenced Bogolanfini symbols. The human centred design approach was adopted for the practical experiments; it entails as a step-by-step guide to externalise creativity, taken cognisance of the people the designs are meant for. The background data came largely from documentation, archival records, and observation of physical artefacts. This project experiments with a breadth of materials such as lycra, canvas, soft velvet fabrics, foam, wood and techniques for a range of products such as retro chairs, cushions and wall panels.
VL  - 3
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Richard Acquaye

Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
Naa Omai Sawyerr

Department of Textile Design and Technology, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana
Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi

Department of Textile Design and Technology, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana

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APA Style

Richard Acquaye, Naa Omai Sawyerr, Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi. (2018). From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application. American Journal of Art and Design, 3(2), 18-25. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11

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ACS Style

Richard Acquaye; Naa Omai Sawyerr; Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi. From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application. Am. J. Art Des. 2018, 3(2), 18-25. doi: 10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11

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AMA Style

Richard Acquaye, Naa Omai Sawyerr, Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi. From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application. Am J Art Des. 2018;3(2):18-25. doi: 10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11,
  author = {Richard Acquaye and Naa Omai Sawyerr and Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi},
  title = {From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application},
  journal = {American Journal of Art and Design},
  volume = {3},
  number = {2},
  pages = {18-25},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajad.20180302.11},
  abstract = {This design experiments convert indigenous West African textile design elements from a limited application in clothing into a breadth of interior design pieces that are expected to have a wider appeal. Textile designing is an integral part of textile production in West Africa and by far the most predominant art practice in the region. Textile production techniques vary from one place to another in the region and some of the common techniques are tie-dyeing, tritik, batik, indigo dying, embroidery, patchwork, appliqué, discharge dyeing, direct printing and resist printing. Designs are developed from sources such as body paintings and tattooing, indigenous symbols, proverbs, occasions and major events, important personalities, natural and artificial objects. Other textile design forms have also evolved from textures produced by the actual processes of fabric construction and the effects of colour variations of yarns such as stripes, bars and checks. However, fabrics are designed mainly for clothing and to some extent craft items and that limits the patronage and application of those fabrics. Furthermore, the processes of designing and production are mainly manual and so reproduction or uniformity in mass productions and mass customisation is besieged with lots of challenges. These design experiments take a more comparative view of the indigenous West African fabrics and the central motifs in the design compositions are Adinkra and Adire and the background referenced Bogolanfini symbols. The human centred design approach was adopted for the practical experiments; it entails as a step-by-step guide to externalise creativity, taken cognisance of the people the designs are meant for. The background data came largely from documentation, archival records, and observation of physical artefacts. This project experiments with a breadth of materials such as lycra, canvas, soft velvet fabrics, foam, wood and techniques for a range of products such as retro chairs, cushions and wall panels.},
 year = {2018}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - From Tradition to Innovation: Indigenous West African Textiles in Creative Interior Application
AU  - Richard Acquaye
AU  - Naa Omai Sawyerr
AU  - Cynthia Agyeiwaa Kusi
Y1  - 2018/09/28
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11
T2  - American Journal of Art and Design
JF  - American Journal of Art and Design
JO  - American Journal of Art and Design
SP  - 18
EP  - 25
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-7802
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajad.20180302.11
AB  - This design experiments convert indigenous West African textile design elements from a limited application in clothing into a breadth of interior design pieces that are expected to have a wider appeal. Textile designing is an integral part of textile production in West Africa and by far the most predominant art practice in the region. Textile production techniques vary from one place to another in the region and some of the common techniques are tie-dyeing, tritik, batik, indigo dying, embroidery, patchwork, appliqué, discharge dyeing, direct printing and resist printing. Designs are developed from sources such as body paintings and tattooing, indigenous symbols, proverbs, occasions and major events, important personalities, natural and artificial objects. Other textile design forms have also evolved from textures produced by the actual processes of fabric construction and the effects of colour variations of yarns such as stripes, bars and checks. However, fabrics are designed mainly for clothing and to some extent craft items and that limits the patronage and application of those fabrics. Furthermore, the processes of designing and production are mainly manual and so reproduction or uniformity in mass productions and mass customisation is besieged with lots of challenges. These design experiments take a more comparative view of the indigenous West African fabrics and the central motifs in the design compositions are Adinkra and Adire and the background referenced Bogolanfini symbols. The human centred design approach was adopted for the practical experiments; it entails as a step-by-step guide to externalise creativity, taken cognisance of the people the designs are meant for. The background data came largely from documentation, archival records, and observation of physical artefacts. This project experiments with a breadth of materials such as lycra, canvas, soft velvet fabrics, foam, wood and techniques for a range of products such as retro chairs, cushions and wall panels.
VL  - 3
IS  - 2
ER  -

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