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
While African masks and large-scale sculptures are highly celebrated, the small figures produced by African cultures are much less well-known. These sculptures generally take human form, but they are made of diverse media, including carved wood, assemblages of resin, cloth, and found materials, and even soft sculptures of sewn, stuffed cloth. They range from relatively … [Read more...] about African Figures: Researched by Rebecca Warden
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