My good friend/ co- worker left for Kenya a few months ago and agreed to bring me back a kanga -- an East African textile I've been obsessed with for awhile. I asked for "something blue and real normal." This is the one she brought back to Philly - it is full of printing mistakes and says in Swahili: "I am a bright light and I don't want any conflict." It references a proverb in which the kanga wearer is confronting others who seem to talk behind her back regarding her life style. She is telling them she is not prepared to yield on their pressure and she'll just continue to live according to her means no matter what they say.
Wiki
Powerpoint
9/26/09
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
aylor, this is beautiful. i hope you wear it to work/around town. it reminds me of this west african pop song i use to listen to about a girl who was too tired to work in the fields but as soon as the weekend came around she was in the city dancing at the clubs. it's really punk, i love it!
ReplyDeleteHey I really enjoy this blog! My new favorite. Thanks for doing it! Always smart and interesting...
ReplyDeleteb.