strip weaving 

Pure stiped textiles have been very rare in history. Before strip clothes had been a sign for unnormal people like court jester or later prisoners. 
A interesting formal aspect of strip weaved textiles is, that there exist no foreground or background. The strips are weaved all in the same layer.


Michel Pastoureau: The Devil's Cloth

Certain tribes in Africa used strip weaved textiles for their traditional clothes. Especially the Ashanti and the Ewe developed a broad range of divers strip patterns. The weaving techniques are alomost quite complex working with several overlaying layers. The patterns look very modernist - but they have been developed in a completely different cultural context and go back to a tradition of several hundred years.


modernist appearance of traditional African Kenté weavings

Formal parallels between two image cultures
Having formally a lot of in common with the Imachinations this could be an interesting interplay between two image cultures.
So there are plans to show the Imachinations also in Ghana looking for a pictorial dialogue.

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Imachination principle and animated series of Kenté stripweaving (Northern Ghana)

An interesting place for a dialogue could be the market or the Center for National Culture. Acrca presents at the Center traditional handicrafts in various forms from all over Ghana; it includes workshops and art galleries.
There is an arts and crafts bazaar and a traditional textile market.


Market in Accra

Special thanks to Malika Kramer who gave me a fascinating introduction to the world of strip weaving in Ghana with its highly sophisticated techniques.


Market in Kumasi

Links

- Ewe Kente motifs: a sampling by Gilbert Ahiagble
- Kente warps -Furhter samples of Kente patterns
- selected bibliography of west african weaving

- Exhibition"Hand-in-hand Weaving", Goetheinstitut Accra 03:
- Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity (Oakland Museum/CA)

Initiatives

Open source software and used computers for Ghana - Gideon Hayford Chonia, computer scientist at ETH ZĂĽrich, engages for the computerization in Africa:
Open Source fĂĽr Afrika - Uni Public 2006
Wifi for Ghana - Wireless Ghana
Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA)


Samples of Kenté clothes