Gazelle Studios: January 2014

Yay!!! My first article for the year. Over the past few weeks I've had to do quite a number of projects with the kente fabric so I decided that along with my picture posts I'd do an article on kente.

Kente, the icon of African Cultural Heritage around the world, it is the best known of all African textiles. Identified by its dazzling multi-coloured patterns and bold designs.

The kente fabric is said to have originated from the Ashanti people of Ghana. Legend has it that two brothers (Ameyam and Kurugu) from Bonwire while hunting observed a spider weaving its web. They found it really fascinating so they went back to their homeland and practiced it using black and white thread extracts from a raffia tree. The result, kente fabric.

Like most of Africa's visual art forms, kente reflects the history, soul and philosophy of the Ashanti people.

The colors of the kente textile have symbolic meanings:

Black- Symbolizes maturation both physical and spiritual.
Blue- Peacefulness, harmony and love.
Green- Vegetation, harvesting, growth, health.
Gold- It symbolizes royalty, wealth, high status.
Maroon- The color of mother earth.
Grey- Healing
Red- Political and spiritual moods.
Yellow- Preciousness, royalty, wealth.
Purple- Associated with the feminine aspects of life.
Pink- Associated with the female essence of life.
White- Purification.
Silver- Serenity, purity, joy.

Originally the textile was reserved for royalty, those with royal blood. Since production increased it became more accessible to those who could afford it. Inspite of the proliferation of both the hand woven and machine printed kente, the authentic forms of the cloth are still regarded as a symbol of social prestige, nobility and a sense of cultural sophistication. Its prestigious status was maintained and is still associated with the Ashanti Culture.

There's no denying Africa has some of the best fabrics the world has to offer, kente happens to be one of them. Do you have anything made from kente in your closet?...well I sure do, maybe today is the day you finally buy or decide to buy a kente👍