Idiomatic painting with adinkra duro and ahyensode
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Date
2000-02-01
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Abstract
‘Adinkra duro’and symbols have basically existed as stamping medium and motifs respectively; mainly for the production of cloths for various occasions in our traditional socities. They have served this raison de’etre religiously and excellently over the centuries.
Even though Adinkra ‘ahyensodee’ or symbols have been applied in various forms of expression, the textile expression far out-weighs all other forms.
The researcher sought to further expand the expression and use of Adinkra symbols and ‘Adinkra duro’ by applying them to the production of Paintings for interiors.
The researcher’s interest in Adinkra symbols arose in the search for an idiom that would reflect traditional and indigenous African life and art in a contemporary way.
‘Adinkra duro’ on the other hand justified its inclusion by virtue of the fact that, it is easily acquired and has also proven itself excellently in its use as a stamping medium for the production of Adinkra cloth. The prognosis for its use as a viable painting medium was hence not far-fetched. In fact, what the researcher sought to do was to make people, especially artists and art tutors, aware of a medium that exists in abundance and is cheaper to use than the imported media.
The researcher also sought to reveal Adinkra symbols as an arsenal of great artistic idiom which most artists in Ghana have not yet recognised and experimented with.
The researcher made a number of visits to Ntonsu a town near Kumasi in the Ashanti region, well lcnown for the production of Adinicra cloth. The purpose of these visits was to acquire first-hand information from traditional craftsmen. The knowledge gained, coupled with some materials procured made this research possible.
The researcher reviewed literature related to Adinkra symbols and cloth. Also, some attempts in the direction of the research by Painting students of Dr. R. T. Ackam in the College of Art, KNUST were reviewed.
The researcher also reviewed the work of one Opanyin Poku Mohamed a popular Adinkra cloth maker at Ntonsu.
Armed with these pieces of information and materials, the researcher set up his studio and made some experimental works before producing the major project paintings.
‘Adinkra duro’ indeed proved to be a viable medium for painting, yielding itself
to a number of techniques such as, tranparency, specklmg, splashing and scratching Adinkra symbols on the other hand provided unlimited ideas in form and composition.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Fine Arts Degree in Painting, 2000