Culture, Design and Textiles in Africa
Author: Dr. Francisca Odundo
Date: May 16, 2025
West African textiles are rich with symbolic, cultural and social meaning. They are deeply-rooted and tacitly understood by the indigenous populaces. The local community’s native knowledge guides their choices of fabrics. The textiles exemplify creative endeavours that showcase culture and identity that shapes the respective communities whom engage with the fabrics. Cultural, political, religious and ritual connotations and denotations are conveyed in semiotics, colour, embellishments, materials, and design. They express significances related to social rankings, expected behaviour, age sets, and ritual practices. What transpires with textiles and dress are an important measure of societal change and are inherently linked to trade, both local and foreign. Changes that occur within the sphere of these cross-cultural interactions, political change, ideological shifts and religious practice are fundamental in comprehending the economic and cultural aspects of textile design and production. Understanding these at not only a local, but global context as well, will help in understanding how textile culture can continue to be of relevance in the contemporary world and continue to survive as an art and communication form and item of economic value.
Unfortunately, traditional African textiles production methods are in danger of disappearing. The techniques used to produce them are cash, time and labour intensive. The return on investments made in their production are very low. As such, many artisans capable of producing these textiles can no longer continue to produce them as they are not economically viable (Acquaye, 2018).
No culture is an independent, self-proliferating and sufficient organic unit in-of itself. Culture and all it accoutrements are rarely developed in an insular manner. Culture exists within a global sphere that to exist, thrive and survive must continually share, borrow and assimilate from a rich blend of both internal and external influences. It is because of this integration and adaption as well as adoption from other societies that people are able to incorporate a cohesive set of beliefs, practices and artefacts into their lives that make up the cumulative and progressive collective we know as culture.
Viewing culture as a static element that is to be hoarded, and frozen in form in the name of cultural appropriation may be harmful and retrogressive hindering its growth and development. Of note is that a distinction should be made between cultural appropriation and copyright issues. These are two distinct subjects.
Design is not independent discipline that exists for its own benefit. It should serve a purpose in society, striving to meet social, economic, religious needs among others. By extension, surface pattern design can no longer afford to be viewed as autonomous, and must cater for its social responsibilities in a contemporary “world where there is an abundance of material revolution (the phenomenon of rapid research and development of materials for various product trajectories). This material revolution has led to the production of several products and services across the globe with tribal and indigenous references (Acquaye, 2018, p. 2). Extreme regard to concerns “of authenticity and its applicability to the source communities” serve to stifle creativity (Acquaye, 2018, p. 2). In his writings on African textiles Richard Acquaye goes on to state that, “it could and should “be argued that these same concepts of authenticity have become part of the broader social process of globalisation (Acquaye, 2018, p. 2).”
The propagation of African textiles and surface pattern designs and their commercial exploitation by Africans has been limited by notions of cultural appropriation. “Appropriation is the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture (that has negative connotations) (Acquaye, 2018, p. 5).” African surface pattern design has been limited to African textiles and any use beyond this “misconstrued as a subversion of culture and met with opposition because of issues of cultural, indigenous or ethnic ownership (Acquaye, 2018, p. 2).”
“Commercially, this has limited the penetration and application of … African textiles in the international market. Many attempts to expand the frontiers (mass production) and application of indigenous West African fabrics have (Acquaye, 2018, p. 2)” been curtailed by this school of thought. In this article, an argument is made for the “appropriation of African semiotics and textiles designs to be viewed as visual metaphors for re-designing and re-shuffling to further the cause of design and culture. It is argued that appropriation should be seen as a strategy of re-invention and a means for transformation that restages ‘old’ concepts and expressions in a new contemporary context. Appropriation serves societies need for constant self-expression, it illustrates paradigm shifts, and the changing face of societies through time.
It is not a novel idea to alter or adapt native African textiles in order to lower their cost and increase their marketability. Textiles designers have been known to develop their designs through the ages. They do this due to new inspiration coming from a variety of sources such as other textiles, or new technologies that give them new found ways to produce textiles. Designers respond to fresh visual stimuli and modify them to fit their innate skill sets and creative prowess. By doing this, they constantly alter the foundation of and perspective to their products leading to favourable textiles designs.
The wide use of cultural resources in the global sphere will serve to preserve them and increase their creditability and symbolic, social, and economic value, giving them a degree of authority and a presence in global conversations. Utilising the textile design, cultural and production techniques and developing new design uses will present a new ideas in sustainability. There is a need to take advantage of the possibilities availed in various degrees of mechanisation of production to yield solutions that enable artisans meet contemporary textile design requirements.
Reference
Acquaye, R. (2018, March 12). Exploring Indigenous West African Fabric Design in the Context of Contemporary Global Commercial Production. Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy; Faculty of Business, Law and Art. Southampton, Hampshire, UK, Winchester: University of Southampton.