Roots of Fashion (4) Print

Fashion is among the three basic necessities of life. After food and shelter, fashion follows suit. Trending fashion is a significant factor in revitalizing the socio-cultural well-being of the community. In this painting, the picture plane is dominated by a taproot, which epitomizes the omnipotence of change in fashion trend. The painting talks about fashion trend in Africa, making multiple references to societal happenings, culture, and tradition of Nigeria as well as the proliferation of foreign fashion, culture, and tradition. ‘Roots of Fashion (4)’ is among my ‘Roots of Fashion’ series of collage (mixed-media artworks). The abstract painting is composed of a cross-section of Cassia tora root pattern and flat planes. The roots forms were created with pieces of jute, cut out from worn-out jute sacks and other unconventional materials. Similarly, the flat planes are created with polythene materials, cut out from rice sacks. These food sacks were initially used for the packaging and distribution of food commodities, such as rice, beans, sugar and garry (cassava flour) within Nigeria, African countries and across different countries in the world. Jute and polythene materials are used in this composition to enhance the metaphoric content of the root forms. The worn out jute bags with turn parts and stripped edges are due to prolonged use, mainly by the retail food traders. Cassia tora roots forms of jute materials epitomize the evolution of fashion in Nigeria. The earth colors of jute are also testaments to the long history of fashionable wears in Nigeria. The chequered planes of brown, yellow and silver are symbolic of the variety of fashion styles in the country. The sheets of raffia, fabric offcuts, Jutes, polythene, beads, and woolen yarns symbolize fashion trends. The colorful patches represent changes in fashion caused by the influence of the cultures of other countries on African indigenous culture. The examples include the unconcealed dress style at the beginning, later the concealed dressing, and a combination of the two currently experienced in Nigeria. Furthermore, African traditional textiles have been replaced by Western and Oriental imports. In Nigeria, weddings have been split into traditional and English. The native attire is used during a traditional wedding, whilst the foreign wears are used for an English wedding. For this study, the patches of materials of various colors show that the culture of a people is dynamic, susceptible to cultural influences of other countries and continues to evolve.

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:10 W x 8 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:15.25 W x 13.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.