SP BADU, a fashion brand from Toronto approached me to reinterpret the traditional Ghanaian kente cloth for a knitted sweater. The process involved generation patterns through a number of techniques I have developed throughout the years, methods that include drawing, vectorizing, creating custom normal maps for depth, and photo manipulation. The end result is a sweater created for and influenced by contemporary Ghanaians and Africans in the fashion and design diaspora.
The practice of kente weaving continues its traditions of self expression through the digital medium. Taking inspiration from the original weavers of West Africa, patterns for the knit were not presupposed or sketched. But rather, distinct shapes were perfected directly through iteration, conversation, and observing our environment.
The Kente cloth has always been a part of my life. Representing major milestones from my childhood to youth. Over the years my relationship to the cloth has matured in a number of ways, which I can proudly say are fully encapsulated within the pattern created for SPENCER BADU’s knitted sweater. An unapologetically modern interpretation of a long practice based in abstraction, automation, and heritage.
This pattern to me represents the current state of the African diaspora. A diverse cohort of individuals exploring many different walks of life. I wish for the traditions and practice of kente weaving to represent the ever changing landscape of the modern African community. A pattern that speaks for the spontaneity, and resilience of African people, whilst showing respect to the chaos of natural order.
The Kente cloth has always been a part of my life. Representing major milestones from my childhood to youth. Over the years my relationship to the cloth has matured in a number of ways, which I can proudly say are fully encapsulated within the pattern created for SPENCER BADU’s knitted sweater. An unapologetically modern interpretation of a long practice based in abstraction, automation, and heritage.
This pattern to me represents the current state of the African diaspora. A diverse cohort of individuals exploring many different walks of life. I wish for the traditions and practice of kente weaving to represent the ever changing landscape of the modern African community. A pattern that speaks for the spontaneity, and resilience of African people, whilst showing respect to the chaos of natural order.
