Africa Utopia is a free annual festival celebrating the arts and culture from the African Diaspora at The Southbank Centre. There is a market of independent traders with a whole range of products from Kente textiles to Shea butter cosmetics, beaded jewellry, letter-press prints, photography and books. There was a fashion show of new emerging designers and block party of music and live performances on the embankment stage till the end of the day. The final song to be played out was by Fela Kuti which was a perfect soundtrack for our dancing feet in Fela socks!!!!
See archive Africa Utopia posts here and here.
"Social Fabric: African Textiles Today" is the latest temporary exhibition at The William Morris Gallery showing fabrics from Eastern & Southern Africa. The oblong prints worn in many various ways each carry their own visual agenda in the graphics to convey social, political, religious and personal messages. Therefore they become an important record of social history as commentary on subjects such as Nelson Mandela or the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. My personal favourite Kanga inscription resonates with my character "I may be quiet but there's a lot in my heart" of the Prickly Fruit that's sharp but is used specifically for the pigment properties of its flesh for colouring food or dying hair. I also love the garment by the London based fashion label CHiCHia with graphic type depicting the designer's favourite proverbs and sayings.
Find out more and see the listings of special events coinciding with the show here.
Read the archive post on Yinka Shonibare at the William Morris Gallery here.
