A HANDMADE FUTURE: the impact of design on the production and consumption of contemporary West African craft as a tool for sustainable development KATHERINE LADD PhD 2012 ABSTRACT This research presents a critique of a craft development project carried out over a period of four years, where the nature of designer interventions in African craft projects is analysed and questions are raised that challenge the desirability and efficacy of such projects. This study is developed from the perspective of a professional designer rather than that of a professional development worker. Following this particular project over a continuous time period offers a specific and unique context in which to examine key and central issues: the design of such products by western designers for global markets, the consumption of ‘ethnic’ products in global markets, (including historical perspectives,) issues of authenticity, post-colonialism, and euro- centric connoisseurship. The research looks at the relationships between traditional West African weavers in both rural and urban Burkina Faso and Western designers, in addition to the consumption of textile products from this region. SOS-Save Our Skills has been set up by Karin Phillips, the director of an organisation that channels UK government funding for designers to exhibit in international design fairs: the British European Design Group (BEDG). Her aim is to resuscitate artisanal skills in Africa, beginning with a pilot project in Burkina Faso. Phillips believes that the BEDG’s expertise in design marketing and promotion will transform the way Burkina’s textiles are consumed in the western world, by presenting them as a form of ‘deeper luxury.’ The research uses a material culture approach to assess local design, production and consumption of textiles and clothing, and cross-analyses the ethnography of weaving cultures in the region with an understanding of the processes whereby craft products reach various Euro-American markets. The research asks whether African craft is intrinsically associated with notions of dependency and aid, and whether western designers knowingly, or not, collude in these notions. The resulting creative practice reflects the theoretical framework. 2 CONTENTS Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 List of Illustrations 4 Acknowledgements 15 Author’s Declaration 16 Chapter 1 Introduction: methodologies, sources, chapter outlines 17 Chapter 2 Consuming Africa: the wider context 48 Chapter 3 Exploring the field: Burkina Faso and SOS-Save Our Skills 116 Chapter 4 Africa, meet Africa: the SOS collections 181 Chapter 5 Bamako and beyond: New York exhibition 236 Chapter 6 Conclusions 284 Bibliography 309 Appendices 318 3 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1.1 Map of Burkina Faso in relation to West Africa. United Nations Cartographic Maps. UN. Web. 26 Feb. 2009. Original in colour. Fig. 1.2 Mossi weaver, Burkina Faso, c. 1900. Gilfoy, Peggy Stoltz. Patterns of Life: West African Strip-Weaving Traditions. New York: Smithsonian Institution, 1987. 13. Fig. 1.3 Igbarra weaver, Okene, Nigeria. Picton, John and John Mack. African Textiles. London: British Museum Publications, 1979. 72. Fig. 1.4 “Le tissage à motifs d’animaux.” Traditional strip weaving cloth from Bondoukuy, Burkina Faso. Reinders, Margriet and Sidi Traoré. La Tenue Traditionelle au Burkina Faso. Ouagadougou: Imprimerie du Progres, N.d. Original in colour. Fig. 1.5 “Femme en train de filer le coton, à gauche les cardes.” Woman spinning cotton yarn, carding combs on the left. Reinders, Margriet and Sidi Traoré. La Tenue Traditionelle au Burkina Faso. Ouagadougou: Imprimerie du Progres, N.d. Original in colour. Fig. 1.6 Different types of traditional striped dan fani cloth. Reinders, Margriet and Sidi Traoré. La Tenue Traditionelle au Burkina Faso. Ouagadougou: Imprimerie du Progres, N.d. Original in colour. Fig. 1.7 Women’s weaving loom. Reinders, Margriet and Sidi Traoré. La Tenue Traditionelle au Burkina Faso. Ouagadougou: Imprimerie du Progres, N.d. Original in colour. Fig. 2.1 Cotton wax resist-dyed cloth made in Manchester c.2000. British Museum. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.2 Cotton wax resist-dyed cloth made in Manchester, early 20th Century. Sample from Charles Beving Collection. British Museum. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.3 Dellepiane, David. Exposition Nationale Coloniale, Marseille 1922. Original poster. Chisholm Gallery. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.4 Asafo flag c. 1863. Ghana, Akan, Fante. Cloth. Michegan State University. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.5 Vintage Asafo flags for sale on the internet. FANTE ASAFO FLAGS 4 (61-70), Ghana. Hamill Tribal Textiles. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.6 Africa Adorned, by Angela Fisher. Amazon. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. Original in colour. 4 Fig. 2.7 Illustration from Africa Adorned, by Angela Fisher. Vandello Books. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.8 Natural Fashion by Hans Silvester, 2009. Amazon Books. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.9 Ethiopian dress. Machell, Ben. “Africa’s Lost Tribes.” Times Magazine. 23 Oct 2010. 30-31. Original in colour. Fig. 2.10 Paa Joe: taking it with you. Exhibition of Ghanaian sculpted coffins. 25 November - 15 January, 2010. Past exhibitions. Jack Bell Gallery. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.11 Voodoo/Magic/Juju: contemporary art from West Africa. Exhibition of street signs, paintings and sculpture. 26 January – 12 March, 2011. Past exhibitions. Jack Bell Gallery. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.12 French website selling mass-crafted West African objects. artisanat-africain.com. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.13 Product page. Bundu Designs. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.14 Plan of the Halls at Maison et Object, Villepointe, Paris. Maison et Objet. Web. 25 May 2012. Fig. 2.15. French wholesaler of contemporary West African bogolan (mudcloth) and leather accessories. Maison et Objet, Paris. Personal photograph by the author. 7 Feb. 2008. Original in colour. Fig. 2.16. South African company, Van Heerden Design. Maison et Objet, Paris. Personal photograph by the author. 7 Feb. 2008. Original in colour. Fig. 2.17 Mass-crafted products from Africa. Maison et Objet, Paris. Personal photograph by the author. 7 Feb. 2008. Original in colour. Fig. 2.18 Design Indaba Home page. Designindaba.com. Web. 3 May 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.19 Artecnica Beads and Pieces Bottle ($450.00) by Hella Jongerius. Design Public. Web. 10 May 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.20 Urban Zen by Donna Karan. Leather tassel necklace from Senegal, $1875.00. Handeye magazine. Web. 23 May 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.21 The M’Afrique show at Moroso’s showroom in Milan during Salone 2009. M’Afrique Collection. Moroso. Web. 27 May 2012. Original in colour. 5 Fig. 2.22 Woven wire ‘Bayakou’ chairs. Moroso, M’Afrique Collection 2009. Moroso. Web. 27 May 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.23 Ron Arad seating for Moroso M’Afrique Collection. Moroso. Web. 27 May 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.24 Binta armchairs by Philippe Bestenheider for Moroso M’Afrique Collection. Moroso. Web. 27 May 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.25 Singer Gwen Stefani in her own label LAMB. LAMB. Web. 16 Jun. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.26 Junya Watanabe Spring/Summer Collection 2009. Agnauta Couture blog. Web. 16 Jun. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.27 Burberry Summer 2012 Collection. Porsum printed silk dress. Burberry. Web. 16 Jun. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.28 Ethical Africa Collection by Vivienne Westwood. Made through the Ethical Fashion Programme. Vivienne Westwood. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.29 Fendi bags made through the Ethical Fashion Programme. International Trade Centre. intracen.org. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.30 Vivienne Westwood in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya. Summer 2011. Photography by Jurgen Teller. Vivienne Westwood. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.31 Front cover of the Sunday Times magazine. Sunday Times, 5 Aug. 2011. Original in colour. Fig. 2.32 Vanity Fair special covers by Annie Leibovitz. July 2007. Vanity Fair. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 2.33 Madonna during a visit to Malawi in 2007. New York Times. 4 Mar. 2011. New York Times. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. Original in colour. Fig. 3.1 Karin Phillips. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Personal photograph by the author. 29 Nov. 2007. Original in colour Fig. 3.2 SOS stand, ICFF New York. Personal photograph by the author. 19 May 2007. Original in colour. Fig. 3.3 SOS literature, designed by Clemens Hackl. BEDG. Original in colour. Fig. 3.4 SOS stand, ICFF New York. Personal photograph by the author. 19 May 2007. Original in colour. 6 Fig. 3.5 Map of Burkina Faso with field sites marked in red. United Nations Cartographic Maps. UN. Web. 26 Feb. 2009. Original in colour. Fig. 3.6 Street scene, Ouagadougou. Personal photograph by the author. 28 Nov. 2007. Original in colour. Fig. 3.7 Children of Napalgué, Burkina Faso. Personal photograph by the author. 2 Dec. 2007. Original in colour. Fig. 3.8 Apprentice weaver. Napalgué, Burkina Faso. Personal photograph by the author. 2 Dec. 2007. Original in colour. Fig. 3.9 Napalgué, Burkina Faso. Personal photograph by the author. 2 Dec. 2007. Original in colour. Fig. 3.10 Napalgué, Burkina Faso. Personal photograph by the author. 2 Dec. 2007. Original in colour. Fig. 3.11 Women of Napalgué, Burkina Faso. Personal photograph by the author. 2 Dec. 2007. Original in colour. Fig. 3.12 Ecru rolls of strip weaving. Calibration photographs sent from SOS-Save Our Skills. Original in colour. Fig. 3.13 Village of Sulgo, Burkina Faso. Personal photograph by the author. 1 Dec. 2007. Original in colour.