The technique of making batik dyed fabric involves creating motifs and designs on cloth using a wax resist. Designs in melted wax are drawn, stenciled, or stamped onto plain cotton cloth, and after the wax has dried and hardened, the fabric is placed in a dye bath. The parts of the design covered in wax then resist the dye, meaning that the dye does not penetrate the fabric in … [Read more...] about Ghanian Akan Batik Fabric: Researched by Elizabeth Rex
The Akan people were settled in their current homeland of Ghana by the 12th century CE, where they form multiple subgroups such as the Asante and the Fante, with a common language and similar cultural practices. The Akan are matrilineal, and the different subcultures trace their ancestry back to a common female ancestor. Although the traditional form of Akan government is a … [Read more...] about The Symbolic Art of Akan Cultures: Researched by Kristin Kessinger
The importance of motherhood in Africa has encouraged the creation and use of fertility figures throughout many different cultures. The Akan-related cultures of what is today southern Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, such as the Asante and the Fante, have created the akua’ba figure (plural akua’ma) to help infertile women become pregnant. The creation of the akua’ba is based on the … [Read more...] about Akua’ma and Akua’ba-Influenced Art Researched by Sarah Teel and Nicole Manhart