Sunday, January 13, 2013
Happy New Year
Happy New Year to Africa... May 2013 be a year in which more African countries move forward, away from corruption, away from external exploitation of their resources, away from the consequences of colonialism and post-colonialism. Forward to progress, however imperfect.
Mbu mwa peña mwa bwam! (Happy New Year in Duala)
Malene's Africa-inspired carpets
A sampling of the African-inspired collection |
I kept in touch over the years, and Malene is now a talented carpet designer and entrepreneur. Recently I caught up with her at her studio on Brooklyn, where I went to pick up a small carpet I had purchased.
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Malene B. Photo courtesy of Malene B. |
For this blog, of course, the highlight is on her African-inspired designs. In the photo above, we have; bottom left: the green Adinkra, above it, Timbuktu, reminiscent of this ancient Mali city's mud architecture; bottom right and center, Wolof, center right, a cowry shell patterned Cowrie, and above that (top right) Papunya (which is not African inspired but rather by the Aborigenes in Australia.) Top left Market Women and top center: Mendhi.
Malene's Africa travels have taken her, to date to Senegal, Gambia, and Ghana. In Ghana, she participated in a cultual exchange program sponsored by the Afrikan Poetry Theater to learn native crafts, language and dance. Ghana's bustling capital city, Accra, provided the inspiration behind Market Women. Dakar, Senegal's Wolof traditional clothing also provided inspiration for carpet designs (such as, evidently, Wolof).
Center: Wolof, over Calabash |
Styles from the new Surya line |
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