THE KENTE DILEMMA.

By Audrey Manyo-Plange.

Change must and will happen, take place or occur.

That is a cardinal ‘law’ of nature.

In fact, change is the one constant in life. A sure inevitability!

It may bring trauma, uncertainty, pain, loss of hope and confidence, despair, awe and yet it prevails; ‘Turning & turning in the widening gyre..’ (Yeats).

Recently at a Durbar I attended, I was privileged to behold the vast variety of Kente on display.

The sheer beauty of the designs and colours were breathtaking.

It dawned on me that the ancient art of skilfully weaving by hand, on primitive looking wooden looms, had remained unchanged in our part of the world throughout the centuries.

The rhythmic back and forth of the shuttle in tandem with the skilful treading of the treadles has remained the same over the generations and centuries.

AND yet the designs churned out by these creative master weavers and craftsmen are ‘sine fine’!!

These craftsmen have no paper patterns, plans or drawings to follow and yet they sit behind their looms, going through the same motions and processes day after day producing incomparable pieces of unmatched beauty.

In a ‘eureka moment’ it was clear to me that these craftsmen are our Picassos and Juan Miros who produce works of art, individualistic and unique in their very essence.

No two works are ever the exact same!

Man’s creativity and creative ability is progressive and endless.

He taps from unlimited resources deep within himself, which he translates into never before seen patterns. The true artist will seldom replicate his designs and ideas.

Why should the art of Kente weaving be any different from the works of the great western masters throughout the various ages?

We witness technology, science, nature, artistry, man himself and everything ‘in toto’ evolving and undergoing change.

Why should Kente designs remain stagnant and conform to the strict linear ‘square basket and brick patterns’ of yesteryear, when the weavers / artists can tap into the unlimited resources from an unseen universe for fresh ideas?

I doff my hat to these true artists of our soil who in tune with the universality of creativity are producing Kente designs of unspeakable beauty.

Some of their creations are reminiscent of Picasso’s later works which were understood by few and disliked by many.

Today these same works are priceless.

The skill and artistry that goes into the production of Kente must always be lauded.

May the artists behind these wonderful works, who remain faceless and hidden, be celebrated as their handiwork gain more recognition, value and their rightful place in our history.

May Kente ‘Kreativity’ march on in its boundless form and splendour, demonstrating and adding meaning to beauty in diversity!!!