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Kente cloth as an image of afrocentric style
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Kente cloth as an image of afrocentric style
Annotation
PII
S032150750004074-3-1
DOI
10.31857/S032150750004074-3
Publication type
Article
Status
Published
Authors
Nadezhda Khokholkova 
ORCID: 0000-0002-5165-1925
Affiliation:
Research Fellow, Centre for History and Cultural Anthropology, Institute for African Studies
Analyst, Center for Scientific Projects Development, Russian State University for the Humanities
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Yulia D. Vorotilova
Occupation: Post-graduate student
Affiliation: P.G.Demidov Yaroslavl State University
Address: Russian Federation, Yaroslavl
Edition
Issue 3
Pages
65-69
Abstract

The article is devoted to the history and evolution of Afrocentric style. The authors focus on kente – the traditional Ghanaian ornamental fabric, which became a kind of «allegory», the emblem of the aesthetics of Afrocentrism. Kente is not just a material used for the production of clothing and accessories, which became popular among African Americans in the second half of the 1980s, but also the aesthetic ideal, the cultural code through which identity is expressed. Kente cloth depicts beauty, strength, and power. Originating among the Ashanti peoples of Ghana and the Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo, this brilliantly colored and intricately patterned strip-woven cloth was traditionally associated with royalty and was worn by the kings of Ashanti. It epitomizes the conсept of unity: each color of the fabric by itself is not as beautiful and is not as strong as all the colors sewn together. Kente has now achieved tremendous international recognition and evolved into one of the most tangible manifestations of an ever-growing sense of Pan African unity. Kente as the symbol of Afrocentric style can be seen worn by actors, singers, media persons, and African American students during graduation ceremonies, cultural events, or parties. Famous artists and designers from different countries use kente in their works, proving that African art is part of the world cultural heritage. Afrocentric сlothing and accessories, in particular, made of kente, had become one of the means of representing identity.

Keywords
Afrocentric style, fashion, identity, clothing, kente, Ghana, USA, African Americans
Date of publication
27.03.2019
Number of purchasers
90
Views
2549
Readers community rating
0.0 (0 votes)
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