ISSN: Journal of Print - 2277 - 078X Humanities, Social Online - 2315 - 747X Sciences and Creative © FUNAAB 2016 Arts

STYLISTIC FEATURES OF CONTEMPORARY ADIRE IN NIGERIAN TEXTILE PRACTICE

O. O. BRAIDE

Department of Home Science and Management, College of Food Science and Human Ecology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

Corresponding Author: [email protected] Tel.: +2348035616698 ABSTRACT With the whole lot of innovation the adire textile is going through, the indigenous craft still maintained and re- tained its cultural values among its various users most especially the Yoruba people. The paper therefore exam- ines the styles and forms of contemporary adire in Nigeria, its distribution and entrepreneurship. Of further interest is the wide gamut of other product which Kampala technique images have been adapted. From clothing to post- card and house hold decoration items. Examination of contemporary adire and its mellowed design, ease of pro- duction and recent acceptance as wearable fashion material and other uses, indicate the diverse direction that traditional art forms may take as it enters the international market, The paper deduced that the different innova- tions that have taken place in the traditional textile craft is as a result of the formal education been acquired by the very few 7.4% of new generation producers of adire and this innovations has in one way or the other improve the patronage of adire and the calibre of its users. It has also transformed adire into ceremonial attire, other than the usual knockabout. It highlights the differences in the patterning methods of the cloth and also the preference choice of users. The study discovered that adire can play a dual role of a commodity and a gift because of its new variety of uses among the customers, from dress to house hold materials and souvenir.

Keywords. Indigenous adire, Contemporary adire, Modernisation, Decorative symbols, tourist market, Social arena

INTRODUCTION decorative. Areo and Kalilu substantiated The Yoruba of South-western Nigeria are this that it may be due to the fact that they well known for their artistic prowess. The are deep religious people, and their thinking contribution of the Yoruba people to the is influenced by history and deep observa- world culture through art cannot be over- tions of their natural environment from emphasized. Though, they have different which most of the traditional decorative artistic tradition such as: sculpture, painting, symbols are been drawn. bead making, mating, carving, basketry etc. But cloth patterning and dyeing seem to Adire has been defined by scholars in differ- have stood the test of time and till date in ent ways based on their exposure either as a spite of modernisation; the industry of patron, collector, and observer or as a re- adire in South-west Nigeria is waxing searcher. Carr (2001), Vol (1987), Perani, stronger. Areo and Kalilu (2013) expressed Fred and Smith (1998), Torntore (2001), that of all the artistic traditions, the textile Aronson (1999) defined adire in the same art of adire still remain perhaps the most light of an accidental discovery, that it points J. Hum. Soc. Sci. & Crtv. Arts 2016, 11 (1 & 2): 104 - 116 104 O. O. BRAIDE to the origin of the cloth and that it relates mila, the Yoruba deity of wisdom and divi- to a specific ethnic people who are produc- nation and Ifa exponent, who was divinely ers of the cloth. While some felt that it is a inspired to produce patterned dyed cloths facilitator of a spoken word. Areo and Ka- using the material technology of certain lilu (2013) define adire from the etymology boards, Agbe, Aluko, Odidere, Lekeleke and of the word as a name coined from two Agbufon. Though the Ifa verse was not spe- Yoruba words ‘ adi’ meaning to tie and ‘ re’ cific about where and when Orunmila did which means to dye. Adire is therefore a the first production, nonetheless tradition creative and artistic form and creative pat- avers that it was a conscious attempt made terned dyed cloths. when life on earth was relatively young with creative enterprise intention. This statement Adire is a local handcrafted textile practiced is in line with the claims of Allman (1978) in Nigeria mostly among women with very that originally, adire production was meant to special tie to the Yoruba people of South be a means of economic sustenance. Re- West. Adire means tie and dye and have dif- search and scholarship have variously and ferent production techniques from knotting consistently proven the reliability of Ifa lit- with raffia to hand marking with feathers erature as a reliable form of oral tradition in and pap. With the lots of innovation in historical reconstruction of the pre – literate adire production, there still remain a fact eras of Yoruba history (Abimbola 1973: 41 – that the creativity and the design in adire 62). A good number of people in Yoruba that made it significant both as process and land engage in adire making business espe- object of communication in the Emergence cially in large cities like Ibadan, Oshogbo, of Adire in Nigerian Textile. and Abeokuta. Abeokuta was mentioned last because dyeing was not originally practiced Emergence of adire in Nigeria textile prac- by women in Abeokuta until some Egba set- tice is obscure, scholarly opinions regarding tlers returned to Abeokuta to introduce the these subject matters varies. Some believed occupation (Akpata 1971). She mentioned that adire is a product of accidental discov- Oshogbo, Ibadan and Abeokuta as three ma- ery. Polakoff (1982), Lenor Lasen (1976), jor dyeing centres in Yoruba land since the Wolff (2001) believed that resist dyeing 19 century. It re – stated the fact that any happened accidentally and the unintentional other dye centres found in those areas may and indefinite patterning has become a ba- be as a result of the collapse of the Oyo sic resist dyeing technique. But the Yoruba empire and the war resulted to mass move- philosophies disregard all their accidental ment of refugees who adopted the dyeing claims. Wolff and Stanfield (1971) believed tradition when moving to safer places. By- that the origin or emergence of it must be field (1993) acknowledge indigo dyeing as sort in context of indigo dyeing and the the foundation of numerous textile tradi- world of the Yoruba women who first cre- tions throughout West Africa. Scholars ated this special cloth over a century ago on claimed that centuries before the introduc- Kigipa, the hand spun and woven cloth of tion of synthetic dyes, the ability to trans- the women upright loom. Be it as it may form common white cotton cloth to a prized Areo and Khalilu (2013) disclosed that Ifa deep blue cloth was a highly valuable skill, divination oral literature credited the origin passed down from generation to generation of patterned dyeing in various hue to Orun- to generation among the Yoruba.

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Styles and forms of adire in Nigeria. are slower than the modern chemicals. This The design and the decorative elements on may account for the factors responsible for the cloth are meaningful part of day to day playing down of the indigenous adire pattern life, adire cloth therefore functions as visual among the present commercial producers. language. This meanings derived from the The contemporary adire with its simplicity in patterns on adire today seem lost, though production had eroded all the above laid adire cloth is still referred to as a product down division of labour by traditional pro- but the fundamental cultural properties of ducers. the pattern on the fabric seem to have been watered down or completely wiped out. The term “Contemporary adire” refers to a Therefore examining the stylistic features broad artistic production based on adire [tie- of contemporary adire in Nigerian textile dye], replaying the indigenous pattern practice should be a welcomed idea. through distortion. Contemporary adire de- Examination of contemporary styles and signers in a subtle manner consciously or forms of adire in recent times indicates the unconsciously had converted indigenous different ways traditional arts forms may adire patterns into the sphere of temporary take as it enters the International market. ‘fine art’. This new concept has re branded With time, lots of changes come up in adire adire and has directly or indirectly affected cloth, new forms and styles of this Nigeria its usage and presentation. textile, whose characteristic pattern is achieved using variety of techniques. Tradi- Contemporary technique are folding ( adire tionally, colour is applied using vegetable kika), knotted ( adire siso), starch resist (adire dye (Elu) indigo and wood ash mordant, eleko), the hand marking process of the in- they are been developed at a slow rate. This digenous producers has been replaced by contemporary version of adire is generally stencil technique application by the contem- referred to by their makers and their con- porary producers. Machine stitch (adire oni sumers as Kampala, a term that indicates machine), needle stitch (adire alabere) that is their connection to the cloth that is their not so prominent in the contemporary era, it inspiration and not tied to any cultural phi- has been taking over by machine stitch. Mar- losophy, religion or environment. While bling (Adire elesun) and discharge (adire clearly distinct from adire, contemporary bibo), that is commonly referred to as koko- adire varieties speculate all of the traditional bilo. ideologies of the indigenous adire cloths that its makers deem valuable, marketable Adire design elements have retained atten- and attractive Braide (2012). Akpata (1971) tion by notable scholars, such as, Drewal described the various division of labour in (1998), Thompson (1973), and Abraham indigenous adire preparation, resisting is (1958) noted that beyond colour, design ele- carried out by aladire (designers), dyeing by ment drew us into the Yoruba creative world alaro (dyers) and finishing by ololu view. In decorating adire, segmenting the (beaters). She informed that making the tra- cloth with line is a deeply significant cultural ditional adire cloth takes a lot of time than act and evidence and evidence of internal- the modern methods. The motifs of indige- ized Yoruba aesthetic linear connoisseurship. nous adire types are tiny; the materials used The surface of the fabric is divided into to paint the motifs and to dye the fabrics squares a form that does not occur in nature,

J. Hum. Soc. Sci. & Crtv. Arts 2016, 11 (1 & 2): 104 - 116 106 O. O. BRAIDE this is a device to organize a multiple motif sized (starch) and dried. The fabric after dry- in orderly manner. As recorded by Drewal ing is given local ironing by the beater (1989), Adire design has “seriality” basic (Ololu). These laborious techniques suffered organizing principles of Yoruba art. In trades secrete. So it is not properly passed Adire there is no single focal point on the on from the older women to the younger design surface. The motifs chosen are sepa- girls. The problem of restriction and taboo rate, equal and distinct. The overall serial also affect proper apprenticeship. pattern is made up of discrete units of mo- tifs complete in themselves that can be ar- Features and procedure for Contemporary Adire ranged, expanded or condensed. All this Making accolade of the indigenous adire is lost to Today, contemporary adire appears in a wide the innovations in production of contem- variety of social context, few of which relate porary adire. Because a good deal of these to adire traditional uses. Contemporary adire innovations is technical in nature, a brief is compositional rather than thematic; con- description of the process by which tradi- cerns may dictate the placement of designs tional adire is made seem very necessary. as cloths for foreign consumption. Fre- quently, isolated single designs are very com- Procedure for Traditional Adire Making mon and patterns are placed on selvedge of Men and sometimes women make the cot- fabrics, example of this is the common black ton cloth that is the support for adire dyes cotton fabric used in the market place today and majority used are imported white shirt- to design unisex knickers buckers as wears. ing of 36/36 inches width. Majority of the The designs are one single piece strategically producers of adire are women, for they situated on the fabric either on the chest, make the surface tying or free hand applica- breast pocket, neckline and arm taping, back tion of pap using feathers and apply dye to e.t.c. distinguish it from other cotton cloths. The women first soak the fabric to remove the The technique with which Kampala is made size (starch) and to soften the fabric for in the tourist market differs from the pains- easy manipulations for folding and tying taking traditional methods. For example, the and to give room for good absorption of time consuming outlining process has been the watery pap applied with feathers for eliminated. The artist no longer practice the starch resist technique. The women prepare geometric and linear patterns, they create the dye from the leaves of a plant known as designs by printing, resisting or folding, dis- Elu (indigofera tinctoria). The leaves are shred- charge methods or surface painting; The ded fresh and pound in a mortar; the contemporary adire artist with increasing pounded leaves are formed into balls and frequency uses stencil cut from variety of dried in the sun for preservation. Woods are materials including cardboard, sticker papers burnt into ashes for mordant. The women etc on which wax or pigment is dabbed after resisting the fabric then immerse the through. Even Sticker papers are directly cloth in the already prepared dye bath until stacked unto the dark background cotton the desired intensity of colour is acquired and binder (acronal) is used as an additive but not at a long stretch of immersion. The for fixing the dabbed printing paste. All this fabric is kept in the basket or on a grass or innovations are to reduce production time cemented floor to oxidise before washing, greatly and increase the quantity of cloths

J. Hum. Soc. Sci. & Crtv. Arts 2016, 11 (1 & 2): 104 - 116 107 STYLISTIC FEATURES OF CONTEMPORARY ADIRE IN NIGERIAN TEXTILE PRACTICE sent into the market. For instance, artists, plastic bottles or partial soaking will be used who produce cloths using stencil and chlo- as minor machines to dispense the colours rine to discharge colour from fabric to cre- and even rinsing are also done in parts. ate pattern, koko-below as it is commonly called, will be able to discharge at least 30 Distribution and Entrepreneurship of Adire in pieces of 5yards fabric in a day while he Nigeria could not be able to produce one traditional Abeokuta a city in South of Lagos has long adire in a day using the indigenous tech- been a leading producer of the contempo- nique. Although most stencilled cloths are rary adire. There, the cloth has become an mass produced with little variety in their important industry. Most of the cloths sold designs but some artists have used these in tourist market are from Abeokuta. It has techniques to create innovative effect, learnt even become a slogan that the only com- in the various schools, such as abstraction, modity that attracts influx of Nigerians to perspective, basic design method Abeokuta is adire be it indigenous or mod- [systematic application of dye]. Some of ern. Most adire for export are also from this group of artist has now channelled to Abeokuta. Modern adire has attracted so training of others, thereby building the sec- many youth to practice the trade for com- ond generation of artist in contemporary mercial reasons and easy production tech- adire. In this contemporary type of adire, nique. some minor locally designed and fabricated machines are involved and some chemicals. The quantity and the popularity of modern Dyeing technique often times are not adire is manifested in the Alhaji Masha clus- through emersion but dispersed method of ter of Lagos, Kemta, Itoku adire market in dye colour application. Some chlorine Abeokuta and Oje market in Ibadan, these [bleaching agent] either in its raw or diluted attest to the reaction of modern adire artist state is poured in a hollow bowl and de- to the new market forces altering a pre- signed foam on a rolling long stick is existing art to suit particular opportunities deepen into the prepared chlorine solution offered by a changing market. Asero Interna- and stylishly rolled over the industrial dyed tional adire market is the result of a balanc- Guinea brocade. The contact of the solu- ing act, the starters are moving in new direc- tion on the fabric brings an exciting design tion to attract foreign consumers. and colour change effect; very fast to pro- duce, less space is occupied and no unfa- Nigerian contemporary adire (Kampala) di- vourable weather condition. Ab- vides the topic into three categories namely stract .shapes are created from the tradi- (Tourist market kampala, Private shops and tional adire patterns which are enlarged, tied Social arena). Tourist or commercial market and dyed without complete emersion in dye Kampala, are not impermeable, for the mak- solution (disperse dyeing). The tied areas ers often move from one market to the other are either preserved using cellophane nylon according to whim and commercial demand. or some other water repelling materials. Nevertheless, these markets are distinct from Synthetic dyes are mixed in their varieties of each other; the style of the cloth and the colours in small bowls depending on the product into which it is fashioned are ad- ability of the Kampala artist to explore col- justed to attract a particular set of consumer ours, either spoon; perforated cover of and realize the intention of a specific group

J. Hum. Soc. Sci. & Crtv. Arts 2016, 11 (1 & 2): 104 - 116 108 O. O. BRAIDE of Artist. Modern Kampala/Adire Manufacturers As- sociation) popularly referred to as Iya Eleja Tourist as well as commercial market, Kam- (2009 pers. Com.) expressed that fabrics pala shops in Itoku, which represent the carry the strength of its wearer, Nigeria as a traditional cluster in Abeokuta, the conven- pre-industrial nation adire production is at- tional shopping complex at Asero, this rep- tributed to spirits. Wolf (1985) buttressed the resent the contemporary cluster, other tradi- above point that the costume itself, when tional markets for indigenous adire and pri- not worn, act as a shrine to egungun spirit, vate shops in Lagos, large central markets which may be called upon throughout the where some areas are just for tourist e.g. year as need arises. Tejuosho market, filled with Kampala. The cloth is also sold in gift shops or hotels, air- Today, contemporary adire appears in a wide port and other social arena and at the vari- variety of social context, few of which relate ous adire carnivals that are being organized to adire traditional uses. Since the introduc- by individuals, organizations or culture tion of European textile, adire has been stakeholders. The Kampala appears in a worn less frequently. This is particularly true wide variety of designs from shapes to ab- among the people who live in Abeokuta, a stract, and adire is used as clothing among world accredited centre for adire production the elitist group. It also serves traditional and innovations in Nigeria. In this area, purposes, Oyelola and Osose (1999) en- European fabric and styles are common due dorsed that some deities used adire for their to its closeness to Lagos, once the capital costume. It is also used during important and now the commercial centre of Nigeria. ceremonies like coronation; adire is used as Allman (2006) submitted that adire produc- commemorative fabrics for important occa- tion among the present generation has be- sions as independence, burial, wedding e.t.c. come a sustainable business unlike the leisure In interview with one of the old practitio- craft of old. Akinwunmi (1981) is of the ner of the craft Aribidesi (2008 pers. Com.) opinion that the cumbersome nature of informed that some of the adire patterns sourcing materials, dyes and fabric, produc- and names are medicinal; she mentioned a tion technique, patterning and dye applica- specific type called JOJO that it derives its tion made most of the craft men to turn it to mystical healing power from a deity called a leisure time business because of the diffi- Ogun (the god of iron), and she backed it culty in meeting large production that can be up with a Yoruba adage that says “O jojo more profitable. However, a recent develop- nsogun ara Ogun o le”. This means the ment, in terms of very wide acceptability god of iron is indisposed, his body is weak. and usage of adire has upturned production The myth revealed it that it was the JOJO to an attractive commercial business beyond fabric that was used to cover him when he Abeokuta metropolis, where the production was sick, it is a hand woven un - patterned of quality adire originated (Rovine 1997). glossy twill weave fabric dyed with natural indigo. She recalled that the fabric became The availability of the imported materials, expensive and scarce but every mother who fabrics, dyes, machine printed fabrics etc. can afford the fabric call for it because the ironically encouraged innovation and ex- fabric was mostly used for paediatric cases. panded the textile industry. Initially, adire A member of TRAMOKAM (Traditional & was produced, found and worn among rural

J. Hum. Soc. Sci. & Crtv. Arts 2016, 11 (1 & 2): 104 - 116 109 STYLISTIC FEATURES OF CONTEMPORARY ADIRE IN NIGERIAN TEXTILE PRACTICE dwellers and this was why Kayes Adenaike boutiques, and still wish to display in muse- (1993) referred to it as aso araoke, cloth ums abroad and in Nigeria. In Yoruba cul- worn in the inter land. But with the con- ture, adire has played a very important role. temporary inspiration of producers that Past records of exhibition and study provide seem to be influenced more by introduction a measure against which to evaluate the im- of better production materials, this took mense innovation that has taken place in re- adire from its village orientation to the city. cent years. Because contemporary adire to- A totally new form of techniques emerged day takes so many forms and appear in so as the imported cloth provides a softer and many contexts, it cannot usefully be exam- smoother texture for easy manipulation, ined as homogenous subject instead, one unlike the coarse and heavy hand woven must distinguish between the various strains fabric (kigipa). The effect of this improve- of this adire inspired art movement. The ment or exposure is more demand for the revitalization of adire is taking place in a product which task the designers to look for number of markets; from tourist art to fine a faster means of production so that the art, all of which are in continual flux, the supply can meet the demand. 1920 wit- artist, vendors and consumers change con- nessed a great boost hither to not experi- stantly as the style and forms of Kampala ence in this Yoruba art tradition and the itself. economy of it. For example studies indicate that, as of the 1920, in Abeokuta centre alone, up to two thousand wrappers were been bought daily by senegaleses merchants RESULTS (Bayfield 1993). Then adire was made with The demographic characteristics of produc- two piece of cloth of five yards each and ers of adire and the preference choice of which constitute the size of wrapper used users of adire as revealed by Braide (2012) in by women. The contemporary patterning her research on “Assessment of Quality of adire because of its new status watered Characteristics of Indigenous and Contem- down the indigenous design by enlarging porary adire made in Abeokuta, shows that them to occupy more space so that more most producers of adire are middle ages of space can be filled within a very short pe- between 41- 50years old this represent 32% riod of time. This therefore affected the of the 50 random purposively selected re- production price which may cause reduc- spondents. Those below 30 years of age are tion in sales price thereby making it afford- just 25% of the total respondents while able to more people. This drew more peo- those between 51-60years and those above ple to the selling aspect of the craft (Braide 60 are 2 out of 50 representing 7.4%. 59.3% 2012). Braide discussed further that reports were married while 22.2% were single. Ma- has shown that we have more traders in jority (81.5%) of the producers were female adire business than all other arms of the while only 18.5% were male indicating that business. Artist in Southwest cities of Nige- the adire business is still currently female ria may work in several spheres simultane- dominated. A total of two-third have some ously, not adhering to conventional divi- formal kind of education ranging from pri- sions between fine art and fashion or home mary to tertiary education while one-third furnishings. Some make clothes for sale in (33.3%) have no formal education. tourist markets while some other sell in

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Table 2 revealed that 32 representing 63% temporary styles while majority do not own of the respondents still use the manual in- their production site. digenous technology to produce their con-

Table 1: Distribution of Adire producers by socio-demographic characteristics, n=50

Description Frequency Percentage AGE GROUP Below 30 years 7 25.9 31 – 40 years 6 22.2 41-50 years 10 37.0 51-60 years 2 7.4 Above 60 years 2 7.4 MARITAL STATUS Single 6 22.2 Married 16 59.3 Divorced 3 11.1 Widow/Widower 2 7.4 SEX Male 5 18.5 Female 22 81.5 EDUCATION No Formal Education 9 33.3 Primary 9 33.3 Secondary 7 25.9 Tertiary 2 7.4

Table 2: Distribution of Adire producers on based Infrastructure. N=50 Description Frequency Percentage Level of Technology Manual 32 63.0 Machine aided 7 14.8 Mass Production 4 7.4 Manual and Machine Aided 7 14.8 Do you own a production Site Yes 13 25.9 No 37 74.1

Do You Rent A Production site Yes 19 37.0 No 31 63.0

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Table 3 show that majority of the producers spect to bleaching, only 26 out of 50 repre- have adequate knowledge of the modern senting 51.9% do not bleach their fabric be- production ethics such as pre – fabric treat- fore patterning while only 7 out of 50 bleach ment, sun and complete drying. With re- their fabric before patterning.

Table 3: Distribution of Adire Producers based on production ethics n=50

Description Frequency Percentage Are you aware of Pre-fabric Treatment method 28 55.6 Yes 22 44.4 No Do you size your fabric Yes 35 70 No 15 30

Do you desize Yes 35 70 No 15 30

At what temperature do dry your fabric Room temperature 20 40 Sun dry 28 56 23.00 2 4

Do you do Complete drying 26 33.3 Damp drying 22 29.6 12.00 2 3.7

Do you bleach before patterning 0.00 17 33.3 Yes 7 14.8 No 26 51.9

Are you aware of various principles of designs Yes 39 78 No 11 22

Do you use them Yes 30 59.3 No 20 40.7 How do assemble your design Element of design 19 37.0 Conceptualization 16 32 Inspiration 4 7.4 12.00 7 14.8 23.00 2 3.7 24.00 2 3.7

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Majority of the producers, 39 out of 50 58.0% making up 58 of the total respon- (66.7%), have the knowledge of the princi- dents. ples of design and 30 representing 59.3%, On the basis of preference choice of the use the knowledge. local and tourist consumer of adire, the table In the area of design assemblage, more pro- shows that the tourist prefers indigenous ducers, 19, use design element to assemble adire type dyed with natural indigo having designs while 16 used conceptualization indigenous pattern, this group represent methods, very few design using other design 33.0% totalling 33 out of the total respon- assemblage method. dents (Table 2)

Table 4 also showed that 88 out of the total The local consumers, 83 in number, repre- number of respondents representing 88.0% senting 83.0% prefer the Modern types of were able to identify the adire types. In adire. Majority of the respondents, 79 in terms of patronage, 83 of the respondents, number representing, 79.0% perceived in- representing 83.0%, patronize contempo- digenous adire as having greater cultural rary adire while about 70% patronize in- value than Modern ones and 56% claimed digenous adire. Majority of the patrons of not to have knowledge that adire is used to adire are in the mix sector. They represent commemorate occasions.

Table 4: Distribution of Adire patron’s by patronage pattern and preferences, n=100 Description Frequency Percent Ability to Identify Adire types Can identify Indigenous Adire 88 88.0 Can Identify Modern Adire 84 84.0 Can Identify Adire made in Abeokuta 78 74.0 Type of Adire Being Patronized Patronizes Indigenous Adire 70 70.0 Patronizes Modern Adire 83 83.0 Mix of Adire Types Being Patronized Patronizes Only Indigenous Adire 7 7.0 Patronizes Both indigenous& Modern Adire 58 58.0 Patronizes Only Modern Adire 24 24.0 Preference of Local consumers Indigenous tie dye with indigenous surface decora- 18 18.0 tion Modern ones with a minute part of old surface 83 83.0 decoration Preference of Tourists indigenous tie dye with indigenous surface decora- 33 33.0 tion Modern ones with a minute part of old surface 67 67.0 decoration Perceive indigenous adire as having greater cultural value than modern ones Yes 79 79.0 No 21 21.0 Know that Adire is used to Commemorate some Occasions Yes 44 44.0 No 56 56.0

J. Hum. Soc. Sci. & Crtv. Arts 2016, 11 (1 & 2): 104 - 116 113 STYLISTIC FEATURES OF CONTEMPORARY ADIRE IN NIGERIAN TEXTILE PRACTICE DISCUSSION arranged motifs with very detailed edges ref- Adire is a fabric that has gone through so erencing some specific historical events or much innovation without necessarily losing proverbs. The plain weave with meticulous its cultural value. It is worth noting that the design and indigo blue dyeing on white back- foreign intervention and all the changes it ground in the tourist market signifies the brought has giving adire cloth both the in- handmade and clearly distinguish it from fac- digenous and contemporary an unprece- tory made cotton cloth frequently used by dented prominence all over the globe. kampala makers. Expatriates interviewed de- The major innovations that came into the clared that their preference for indigenous production of the local textile adire were as adire is as a result that the patterns have spe- a result of the few 7.4% that acquired for- cific meanings as a result of the interesting mal education in the production of the craft details that are added to the cloths exoticism. at tertiary education level. With the various The study enumerate new devices to enable innovation and bicultural interventions, production time reduce, to increase the technologically there had been little im- quantity and quality of the cloth presented provement because 63% of the producers for sale in the market place. The study pre- still use indigenous technology to adapt to sented some mass production techniques the changes. In the market place today and using template without necessarily destroying even among users, the contemporary adire the cultural value of the cloth. The study has moved the fabric from its former wear- revealed that modern adire (kampala) had able identity to all other uses such as souve- attracted more youths to practice the trade nirs, house hold functional material even as for commercial reasons and easy production jewellery and various other items displayed techniques. Adire is therefore both an ex- in malls and other highly esteemed places pression of national pride and response to both at home and abroad. economic exigencies Indigenous adire is per- ceived as having greater cultural values than The effect of trade secretes seem still very modern ones prominent in the production of adire though the industry seem to be attracting more of younger males than females, pres- NOTE: ently we have more women the industry but Personal communication, March 30 and very few young women are interested learn- May 12, 2009 with Alhaja Safurat Aribidesi, a ing the technique. With the new trend, more renowned merchant of indigenous Adire in young men acquiring the adire making skills Itoku market (famous market for the sales of and adapting the cloth to an entirely new Adire in Abeokuta). range of products, the statement that adire production and sales is a sole business for Personal communication, September 22, women may change very soon. Adire pro- 2013 Alhaja Basirat Aileru alias Iya eleja who duced for traditional uses are patterned with is the head of Adire design and dyeing guild rows of geometrical designs that carry mes- in Itoku market in Abeokuta Metropolis sages for those trained in their interpreta- tion while contemporary adire exhibits a lot REFERENCES of distortion using abstract designs. Adire is Abraham, R C. (1958). “ The Literature of the product with complex and meticulously Ifa Cult” in S. O Biobaku (ed) Source of

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(Manuscript received: 17th February, 2017; accepted: 14th September, 2015

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