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The European “African print” and the direction of authentic African print design efforts in Nigeria
Abstract
The paper investigates the nature of machine-produced fabric
commercially termed “African prints” by focusing on a select sample
of these prints. It establishes that the general design characteristics of
these prints are an amalgam of mainly Javanese, Indian, Chinese,
Arab and European artistic traditions. Attempts at providing designs
which are authentically African in content were made by Littrell, an
American-Africanist scholar, and by many art schools in Nigeria.
The paper examines these attempts, especially those provided
by the art students in order to chart their design direction. It is
reassuring that their sources of design inspiration come from a wide
range of African textile traditions and African worldviews, particularly from African objects. However, the Indonesian (Javanese) batik still poses a major challenge to the development of authentic African print designs.
commercially termed “African prints” by focusing on a select sample
of these prints. It establishes that the general design characteristics of
these prints are an amalgam of mainly Javanese, Indian, Chinese,
Arab and European artistic traditions. Attempts at providing designs
which are authentically African in content were made by Littrell, an
American-Africanist scholar, and by many art schools in Nigeria.
The paper examines these attempts, especially those provided
by the art students in order to chart their design direction. It is
reassuring that their sources of design inspiration come from a wide
range of African textile traditions and African worldviews, particularly from African objects. However, the Indonesian (Javanese) batik still poses a major challenge to the development of authentic African print designs.
