Kente cloth as an image of afrocentric style

Affiliation:
Research Fellow, Centre for History and Cultural Anthropology, Institute for African Studies
Analyst, Center for Scientific Projects Development, Russian State University for the Humanities
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Yulia D. Vorotilova

Occupation: Post-graduate student
Affiliation: P.G.Demidov Yaroslavl State University
Address: Russian Federation, Yaroslavl

Journal name

Asia and Africa Today

Edition

Issue 3

Pages

65-69

Abstract

The article is devoted to the history and evolution of Afrocentric style. The authors focus on kente – the traditional Ghanaian ornamental fabric, which became a kind of «allegory», the emblem of the aesthetics of Afrocentrism. Kente is not just a material used for the production of clothing and accessories, which became popular among African Americans in the second half of the 1980s, but also the aesthetic ideal, the cultural code through which identity is expressed. Kente cloth depicts beauty, strength, and power. Originating among the Ashanti peoples of Ghana and the Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo, this brilliantly colored and intricately patterned strip-woven cloth was traditionally associated with royalty and was worn by the kings of Ashanti. It epitomizes the conсept of unity: each color of the fabric by itself is not as beautiful and is not as strong as all the colors sewn together. Kente has now achieved tremendous international recognition and evolved into one of the most tangible manifestations of an ever-growing sense of Pan African unity. Kente as the symbol of Afrocentric style can be seen worn by actors, singers, media persons, and African American students during graduation ceremonies, cultural events, or parties. Famous artists and designers from different countries use kente in their works, proving that African art is part of the world cultural heritage. Afrocentric сlothing and accessories, in particular, made of kente, had become one of the means of representing identity.

Keywords

Afrocentric style, fashion, identity, clothing, kente, Ghana, USA, African Americans

Publication date

27.03.2019

Number of characters

17982

Cite

GOST	Khokholkova N., Vorotilova Y. Kente cloth as an image of afrocentric style // Asia and Africa Today – 2019. – Issue 3 C. 65-69 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://asaf-today.ru/S032150750004074-3-1 (circulation date: 25.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S032150750004074-3
MLA	Khokholkova, Nadezhda, Vorotilova, Yulia D. "Kente cloth as an image of afrocentric style." Asia and Africa Today 3 (2019):65-69. DOI: 10.31857/S032150750004074-3
APA	Khokholkova N., Vorotilova Y. (2019). Kente cloth as an image of afrocentric style. Asia and Africa Today (3), pp.65-69 DOI: 10.31857/S032150750004074-3

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 2, views: 1649

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Zimmel G. 1996. The View of Life. M. (In Russ.)

2. Zaharova N.A. 2017. World Women’s Fashion and Yoruba Culture // Yaroslavl State University Bulletin. Human Sciences. № 1 (In Russ.)

3. Rattray R.S. 1959. Religion & Art in Ashanti. London, Oxford University Press, Amen House.

4. Textiles that talk: say it with kente cloth / Project Bly: design, travel. 2015 – http://blog.projectbly.com/textiles-thattalk-say-it-with-kente-cloth/ (accessed 15.07.2017)

5. Mozheiko I.V. 1962. Eto – Gana. M. (In Russ.)

6. Johnson D. 1997. The Children’s Book of Kwanzaa: A Guide to Celebrating the Holiday / D.Johnson. New York, Simon and Schuster

7. Nelson Mandela. July 2, 1990 // Time Magazine – http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19900702,00.html (accessed 18.06.2018)

8. Osinovskaya I. 2016. The Poetic of Fashion. M. (In Russ.)

9. Molefi Kete Asante. Afrocentric culture critic // Quit Pro Quotes // Utne Reader – http://www.utne.com/mind-andbody/quit-pro-quotes-pracitce-of-quitting-visionaries?pageid=2#PageContent2 (accessed 20.06.2018)

10. Asante M.K. 2011. As I Run Toward Africa. Boulder, Paradigm Publishers, 2011.

11. African Homeboy – Brixton / Photo by Norman Normski. V&A museum, London – http://collections.vam.ac.uk/ item/O1243176/african-homeboy-brixton-photograph-normski/ (accessed 05.05.2018)

12. Queen Latifah Talks Wearing African Clothing In This Amazing Throwback Interview // VH1 – http://www.vh1.com/news/271378/queen-latifah-style/ (accessed 18.06.2018)

13. Bondarenko D.M. 2016. The Shades of Black. Cultural-Anthropological Aspects of Mutual Perceptions and Relations between African Americans and African Migrants in the U.S.A. M. (In Russ.)

14. Ethnic Dress in the United States: A Cultural Encyclopedia. 2014. Ed. by Lynch A., Strauss M.D. Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014.

15. “Everybody Wants a Piece of Africa Now”: Culture: Kente, a cloth rich in color and tradition, weaves its way into wardrobes of African-Americans. ‘It makes me feel stronger,’ one wearer says – http://articles.latimes.com/1991-10- 27/news/vw-1049_1_kente-cloth (accessed 18.06.2018)

16. Doll she’ll love for all the right reasons // Ebony. Vol. 50. № 4.

17. The 90s Kente Aesthetic // The Black 90s – http://theblack90s.com/language-literature/kente/ (accessed 18.06.2018)

18. Encyclopedia of Black Studies. 2004. Ed. by M.K.Asante, A.Mazama. Thousand Oaks, SAGE Publications.

19. Ross D.H. 1998. Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity. Los Angeles, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History.

20. Black merit scholar is removed from graduation ceremony for refusing to take off traditional African cloth / Mail online http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3613566/Black-student-removed-graduation-ceremony-refusing-kente-cloth.html (accessed 18.03.2018)

21. Black US lawmakers wear kente cloth to protest Trump’s vulgar comment – http://gkmen.com/2018/01/31/black-uslawmakers-wear-kente-cloth-to-protest-trumps/ (accessed 18.03.2018)

22. Nigerian artist who provided body art for Beyoncé in ‘Sorry’ responds to Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban’ with art / The young empire – https://theyoungempire.com/2017/01/30/nigerian-artist-who-provided-body-art-for-beyonce-in-sorry-responds-to-trumpsmuslim-ban-with-art/ (accessed 05.05.2018)

23. Frank A. How One Afrobeats Superstar Is Reinventing Ghana’s Most Prized Fashion Treasure / Vogue – fashion magazine. October, 2017 – https://www.vogue.com/article/afrobeats-kente-cloth-ghana-el (accessed 18.03.2018)

24. Black Star Delight: Selina Beb Showcases ‘Kente Collection” / Newsah – https://enewsgh.com/2018/03/28/blackstar delight-selina-beb-showcases-kente-collection-new-orleans-fashion-week/ (accessed 05.05.2018)

25. Gavristova T.M. 2014. Unknown Africa: History in Biographies. Yaroslavl (In Russ.)

26. Flower girl. Yinka Shonibare / Yinka Shonibare MBE – http://www.yinkashonibarembe.com/artwork/ sculpture/?image_id=301 (accessed 05.05.2018)

27. Arnold W.R. Ferguson art show to confront the nation’s history of slavery and racism / W.R. Arnold. St. Louis Public Radio. July, 2017 – http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ferguson-art-show-confront-nations-history-slavery-and-racism# stream/0 (accessed 07.04.2018)