Candice gray
4 April 2016
The exploration of hybrid cultures within textiles
I will be exploring hybrid cultures within fashion and textiles, by looking at traditional African textiles though their techniques, patterns and colours, of their fabrics and further exploring how fashion and textile designers contemporarise these traditional textiles in to modern and exciting textile pieces.
Traditionally, textiles from Africa have originated for thousands of years, and were used used to show important cultural information, for example festivals or funerals . The majority of their textiles was made using cotton, a popular material used to make cloth, which creates either a white or brown background colour. The four main types of cloth Africans …show more content…
To create the African prints Shonibare uses a technique called wax printing, it is a common technique for producing brightly coloured pattern making in Africa and is also known as batik. The process of this technique first involves drawing your design, then a hot wax is applied with an object called 'chanting', for large repeat patterns Shonibare will apply the hot wax with a copper stamp, he would then dye the fabric and wash off the wax in boiling water. One of my favourite exhibitions of Shonibare's is 'Making Eden' (2014) I feel it particularly shows the differences between hybrid cultures. In this exhibition Shonibare explores the sheer contrast between Africa and the U.K, through the theme of revolution. His piece named 'Ms Utopia' (2013) shows a figure holding a large bunch of flowers. The batik fabric from the theatrical dress has a brightly coloured African pattern on it, indicating how Shonibare is proud of his African heritage, meanwhile the flowers often a symbol for peace, indicates how he feels Africa as a country needs to become more secure. These two ideas are very contradictory, similarly to the way that African and English fashion and textiles are.
Another piece of Shonibare's work that combines African patterns with contemporary fashion, is his piece named 'globe head ballerina' the fabric on the ballerina tutu reflect African identity, with his use of a geometric swirl pattern, a traditional style of African patterns. The tutu is very contradictory to the long flowing garments often work in Africa. I particularly enjoy the way he has combined the two to create a very contemporary fashion
4 April 2016
The exploration of hybrid cultures within textiles
I will be exploring hybrid cultures within fashion and textiles, by looking at traditional African textiles though their techniques, patterns and colours, of their fabrics and further exploring how fashion and textile designers contemporarise these traditional textiles in to modern and exciting textile pieces.
Traditionally, textiles from Africa have originated for thousands of years, and were used used to show important cultural information, for example festivals or funerals . The majority of their textiles was made using cotton, a popular material used to make cloth, which creates either a white or brown background colour. The four main types of cloth Africans …show more content…
To create the African prints Shonibare uses a technique called wax printing, it is a common technique for producing brightly coloured pattern making in Africa and is also known as batik. The process of this technique first involves drawing your design, then a hot wax is applied with an object called 'chanting', for large repeat patterns Shonibare will apply the hot wax with a copper stamp, he would then dye the fabric and wash off the wax in boiling water. One of my favourite exhibitions of Shonibare's is 'Making Eden' (2014) I feel it particularly shows the differences between hybrid cultures. In this exhibition Shonibare explores the sheer contrast between Africa and the U.K, through the theme of revolution. His piece named 'Ms Utopia' (2013) shows a figure holding a large bunch of flowers. The batik fabric from the theatrical dress has a brightly coloured African pattern on it, indicating how Shonibare is proud of his African heritage, meanwhile the flowers often a symbol for peace, indicates how he feels Africa as a country needs to become more secure. These two ideas are very contradictory, similarly to the way that African and English fashion and textiles are.
Another piece of Shonibare's work that combines African patterns with contemporary fashion, is his piece named 'globe head ballerina' the fabric on the ballerina tutu reflect African identity, with his use of a geometric swirl pattern, a traditional style of African patterns. The tutu is very contradictory to the long flowing garments often work in Africa. I particularly enjoy the way he has combined the two to create a very contemporary fashion