Wax Prints: A West African Staple or Symbol of Colonial Past ?
Updated: Nov 30, 2021
For my research I am exploring how native West African textiles trades can be adapted to be used by people with visual and bodily impairment. My aspiration for this project is to design and develop a tool or process that can implemented by artisans or people creating these textiles which enable those with different body abilities to a to be hired or carry out work in these industries as a for of income. For my project I have focused my site on Sierra Leone which is my home country as primary place to concentrate my project into, however, as many of you are probably aware, there is a great deal of homogeny between the neighbouring countries to SL with them sharing similar techniques and customs.
To begin this process I started with an investigation into West African Textiles to learn more about the history of these iconic fabrics, their authenticity and relevance in contemporary culture .
A Brief History
Drawing room at Vlisco Headquarters. — Vlisco Archive
African Wax Prints also know as Ankara or Dutch wax Prints has become a hallmark of West Africa. If you are travelling through the Gold Coast, you will be sure encounter these beautiful and vibrant fabrics worn by men and women alike, from everyday attire to the most outstanding occasion wear and is still heavily in vogue for many black people across the diaspora.
With such a strong affiliation with African people you maybe somewhat surprised to know that wax prints did not in fact originate from Africa. Wax prints were brought to West Africa in the mid 19th century and were a European development. This occurred during the Dutch colonisation of Indonesia, whilst there they sought to mass produce and replicate their traditional forms of batik fabric. The Dutch developed large roller printing machines to create this imitation wax. However, this imitation fabric produced proved no to be popular through Indonesia, as the machines left a crackle affect across the fabric that was regarded as an imperfection.
The Dutch developers however were able to find a market for these new fabrics, in West Africa! Being well received in countries such as Ghana the women warmed to the vibrant patterns and colours, and the cotton fabric was ideal for clothing in the hot tropical climate. Finding a home for their imitation batik, the wax print phenomena was born! Workers from the European companies travelling between West Africa and their respective companies, to survey the culture and hear stories from the local women, which was then transformed into iconography and symbols to be used on the fabrics to be more tailored to them.
These fabrics became so successful other countries throughout Europe sought to develop their own printing press.
Traditional Fabric Dyeing in Sierra Leone
Before the impact of the wax print, traditional methods of dyeing and batik of fabric existed through out Sierra Leone. Gara Dyeing, named after the Gara leaf which is harvested to produce a natural dye. This is a process of creating patterned fabric through folding and binding the fabric to resist the dyes in various designs.
For my research study I want to focus on traditional processes of fabric printing and indigo dyeing, to bring back a celebration of cultural heritage over imported goods. In sierra Leone there is somewhat of a renaissance n revitalising local and traditional produced materials by new upcoming designers and young people as opposed to the long running reverence towards imported goods.
For many of my current designs for BijouCREATES, I have used almost exclusively African wax print fabrics, which I source and curate from all over the world! Though previously I had made an effort to source materials from black owned stores and sellers, from learning the history of these fabrics I’ve began to wonder is this enough. Moving forward I am more inspired to create West African influenced designs which use more historically connected fabric that has connections to Sierra Leone from the start to the final piece. During my trip to Sierra Leone my intention is to dive into the history of Gara dyeing and learn more about the history and contemporary use of this fabric, by interviewing and working with makers and designers in and around Freetown.