Ghana Craft Markets and Kente Cloth #1

While in Kumasi we visited a Ghana Craft Market with out guide, "Mr. Charles." In this compound many artisans were actively creating and selling their beautiful crafts. I wandered around and took some photos---since I am always fascinated by fellow crafters and their process. I purchased a lovely basket, some beaded jewelry, and other crafts as gifts to take home--including a colorful strip of Kente Cloth.

a basket maker---showing a basket in progress

these beautitful young women wanted me to take their photo with the basket--which they were selling

here I am--with the basket I purchased (great for storing yarn in or taking to the Farmer's Market) and a sculpture that was in the compound.

there were wood carvers at work


and ART! everywhere we went in Ghana artists were selling their art---mostly on unframed canvas---I really liked much of it--but was relunctant to ask to photograph an artist's work, if I wasn't planning on purchasing it, so didn't get many photos of the great art I saw. These two large paintings were public art--on the side of a building, so I snapped a few shots of them.

And then I saw my first Kente Cloth artisan at work...I must say that the fabric designer in me was fascinated by all the great fabrics I saw--and the Kente Cloth was no exception---I took numerous photos.

Kente Cloth is woven on a narrow horizontal loom. The loom usually uses four heddles, but sometimes has more. The cloth is woven in narrow strip that is about 3-5 inches wide and about 5-6 feet long. Several strips are sewn together to make a wider piece of cloth for both men and women.

a strip of black and white Kente Cloth on the loom



later we visited a wonderful place in a small village where many Kente Cloth weavers worked and sold their cloth--so check back tomorrow for a colorful treat! as I really did take many photos;-)

Tapestry Weaver

My friend Linda Rees, who lives in Eugene, OR is a tapestry weaver. She has been weaving for over 40 years, and has created a stunning body of work over the years. I love her sense of color and design, and the palettes she chooses, so I am showing a few of her more recent hand woven tapestries here--with her permission. I have included the dimensions of each tapestry here, so you can get some idea of how large these are.

Title: Tropical Serape 55" x 39"
Title: The Speckled Space 56" x 39"


Linda often includes interesting pictorial images in her tapestries--like this series she created on the stages of womanhood, titled : The Doors Open on Aging



here is a close up of one of these tapestries, titled: Sighs for a Sagging Body

17" x 21"
Linda says of her work: "Tapestry weaving has been my primary creative outlet for forty years. I have exhibited extensively and segued into writing about the medium and its artists during the last two decades. However, weaving has been a relatively personal pursuit, focusing my energy towards developing artistic skills. The one consistant feature of my artwork is the persistent use of a limited number of yarns for any one piece, preferably no more than six colors or yarns. The challenge to depict geometric or figurative imagery within the confines of a restricted palette excites me. It is how I think, how I visualize."

I also usually enjoy the titles Linda gives her tapestries--this one is titled:
Goin' Places
36" x 29"


This one is titled: Possession 956
47" x 31"



And here are a few more geometric ones.

Title: Context
62" x 38"
Title: The Trickster's Day
68" x 40"