Kente

Here are a couple quick t-shirt designs I created which are inspired by some of the clothes worn by my parents and family members in Ghana on special occasions. The t-shirts were sold and I donated 100% of my proceeds to an arts non-profit based in Ghana that teaches art to children who live in local orphanages.

The Kente cloth is one of the most renowned and desired fabrics produced in Ghana. In its very essence, the Kente cloth is a creative medium of communication: through the combination of complex patterning and vivid colors, local weavers convey visual messages relating to philosophical stances, political beliefs, social solidarity, heritage and history. Each color has it’s own symbolic meaning and the detailed patterning possess the ability to tell the audience a nuanced story. With this in mind, the connection between Kente cloth and graffiti seems so evident. Moreover, the Kente is just another explication of the co-constituting and reflexive relationship between art and language as well as image and type.