| Rejoice in Color | | Kente cloth honors the past, reveals the present, and welcomes the future. |  | | | The past stays alive only when we carry it with us.
Perhaps it is fitting, then, that the word “kente” means “basket” in the dialect of the Ashanti’s Akan people. While it is a descriptive term that references the particular weave of the fabric, it is also a reminder that the legends and stories of a people must be protected, held, and carried forward into the future.
Proverbs, symbols, and patterns come to life in the vibrant colors and complex designs of each kente piece. For the Gobah Tengey-Seddoh family, who have been crafting kente cloths since 1821, the ideas behind each design are what make it both an artistic and a philosophical work of art.
Torgbui (meaning "chief") Gobah Tengey Seddoh, the face of this artisan family, is one of the world’s best authorities on the subject, as he has been dubbed, “the man with the magic hands and feet,” describing the dance-like movements that engage his entire body as he sits at the loom, passing the shuttle through the warp, while his legs work the pulleys and lams.
He explains the roots of the garment. “In the olden days, it was a custom for all newly-produced designs to be shown to the king, and the ones he liked most were reserved for his exclusive use.” Today the designs maintain this deep connection to the past, while also capturing the present. Each artisan pours him or herself into the work. In this way, the hopes and dreams of the maker become part of that ancient weave.
Another incredible NOVICA artisan, Rachel Armah, produces stunning kente garments, reminding us that each color does more than lend beauty to the finished product. Color itself has meaning. In a gorgeous scarf that depicts a Nhyira pattern, which means “blessing” in the Akan language, she tells us that green is for fertility and new harvest. Gold is royalty, black is strength, aging and spirituality, and white is purity. |  | For Rachel Armah, a single mother of two girls, who experienced the loss of her own mother at a young age, kente weaving – and now handmade beadmaking – are more than a means of livelihood. They are also expressions of her own inner abundance and desire to engage with the world in a profound way. Whether she is making her crafts, teaching underprivileged youth, visiting inmates at the prison in Accra, attending church, or spending time with her daughters, every aspect of her life finds its way into her work.
We discover in the rich designs, intricate patterns, and carefully chosen colors more than a tribute to legend and history. We find stories about family, about the challenges and triumphs of living today, and a celebration of the world in all its marvelous complexity.
We close with beautiful words from Torgbui Gobah Tengey Seddoh...
“In Akan, kente is the craft of placing the fronds on each other to produce a basket or mat, so is derived from togetherness – a bond called LOVE.” | | | | | | |
