Category: Art

Naomi Campbell on the profitability and marketing African fashion and fabrics

June 13, 2019

Recently, when Naomi Campbell was at a fashion show in Durban, South Africa, she touched upon an important subject in art, culture and fashion that probably isn’t talked about enough. The typical historical pattern for Africa – and other indigenous nations and cultures around the world – is for Europeans and the Western world to … More Naomi Campbell on the profitability and marketing African fashion and fabrics

“Quality” Fuse ODG, Kente and the beauty of an African woman

April 30, 2019

“Quality” by Fuse ODG This dope video by Fuse ODG – Ghanaian artist and musician Nana Richard Abiona – is a great example of the fantastic new possibilities that are evolving in artistic expression with Kente cloth. As you can see, all the lovely models in this music video are wearing Kente – the look … More “Quality” Fuse ODG, Kente and the beauty of an African woman

Kente Cloth Workshop in Rahway, NJ, Sunday May 5, 2019

April 21, 2019

Hello Friends, lovers of Africa and the Kente cloth tradition – we are having our next workshop in two weeks in Rahway, New Jersey on Sunday, May 5, 2019. The workshop will be held at the Cultured Expressions Sewing and Quilting Studio at 1417 Main Street, NJ, 07065, from 2 pm to 6 pm. In … More Kente Cloth Workshop in Rahway, NJ, Sunday May 5, 2019

3 Generations of Ashanti: A father-son-grandson Kente weaving legacy

April 18, 2019

It is with great joy that I share with others this photograph of the Kente cloth my father, A.E. Asare, wove for the United Nations. The name of this piece is “Tikoronkoagyina,” which roughly translates into English as, “One head does not go into council. Two heads are better than one.” I barely even knew … More 3 Generations of Ashanti: A father-son-grandson Kente weaving legacy

Afrofuturistic Aesthetics: Black Panther and the synthesis of African art and design

April 3, 2019

It’s hard to underestimate the influence of Black Panther in the film’s ability to create a new Pan-African fashion/design aesthetic. Kente cloth, from the Ashanti region of Ghana – the most recognized and revered African woven fabric – also played a small role as one of the artistic elements among many African features, with T’challa … More Afrofuturistic Aesthetics: Black Panther and the synthesis of African art and design

Thoughts of a Kente weaver on the unity of African art, culture, design and spirituality

April 20, 2016

Africa is the source and origin of human life and much of humanity’s history, culture and evolution. Many of the foundations of science, medicine, astronomy, technology and mythology are directly traceable to Ancient Egypt (Kemet), later disseminated to Western civilization through Greece and Rome. Despite the oppression and underdevelopment of colonialism as well as limited access to … More Thoughts of a Kente weaver on the unity of African art, culture, design and spirituality

The most fly kicks ever – with an African flavor!!!

April 20, 2016

Nike NIKE HIRES NIGERIAN ARTIST LAOLU SENBANJO TO CREATE AIR MAX INSPIRED ART IN NEW YORK Niyi Aderibigbe Mar. 19 2016, 10:00 am Reprinted from The Nerve Africa For Nigerian visual artist and musician Laolu Senbanjo, all he wanted as a kid was happiness and growing up to become someone relevant to the society. While … More The most fly kicks ever – with an African flavor!!!

Laolu Senbanjo’s high energy collaboration with Queen Beyonce in “Lemonade”

April 20, 2016

Laolu Senbanjo is capturing center stage these days, including a high profile collaboration of his unmistakable body painting style with Beyonce, on her upcoming HBO premier of Lemonade. Senbanjo describes his body painting is part of the sacred art of the Ori; it binds both himself as an artist and the subjects of canvas. “In my language, Yoruba … More Laolu Senbanjo’s high energy collaboration with Queen Beyonce in “Lemonade”

The Weaver

April 6, 2016

Artist Joshua Mays describes this beautiful painting as “Advance possibility through advanced perspective.” I was immediately drawn to the painting, of course, because of its title.  It has a feeling and an energy that expresses something of what I experience as a Kente weaver, which ties into the idea of the African Creation myth of … More The Weaver