Celebration of African textile

 

Celebration of African textile

By Ozolua Uhakheme

 

 

A solo art exhibition of a stunning collection of 13 textile works crafted from vibrant designs of Ankara fabrics by one of Nigeria’s contemporary artists Kaosiemenma Uchendu-Edeh, was held at ArtQuay Gallery, Southampton, United Kingdom between March Mar 10 and 13. The collection projects the timeless traditions of African craftsmanship with innovative design focus and adornment sensibilities.

Kaosiemenma Uchendu-Edeh, is a Nigerian multidisciplinary visual artist and an art lecturer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts and a Master of Fine Art in Fashion Design..

Kaosiemenma’s art is dedicated to celebrating African heritage through innovative textile-based art. Her handcrafted creations include soft sculpture figures made from wool balls and African prints balls, vibrant African print tote bags, accessories, and one-of-a-kind beaded collectibles. With a passion for storytelling through art, her designs blend traditional African elements with modern flair, resulting in unique pieces that honour her cultural roots.

She is passionate about crafting unique, handmade pieces that blur the lines between fashion and art. As a talented artist and designer, she loves exploring with her indigenous African fabrics and textile fibres using various studio methods to create unique arts and crafts. Her goal is to explore the use of textile and art as a social identity. The exhibition is a celebration of African textiles and craftsmanship as it showcases the beauty and significance of traditional African textile designs, reimagined for a contemporary utility by the artist.  

Essentially, the collection presents the beauty and diversity of African cultural visions, the importance of preserving traditional craftsmanship and the power of textiles to shape identity and community.

This stunning collection of Kaosiemenma’s 13 works, crafted from vibrant designs of Ankara fabrics, offers both decorative and functional items rendered in bright and multiple colour shades.  Kaosiemenma who is the Creative director Kakao Kouture explores African textile to elevate different styles expressively while creating exciting handcrafted African prints and other collectibles.