INVESTIGATION INTO STUDIO HANDCRAFTED TECHNIQUES IN THE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF SIMULATED AFRICAN PRINTS.

Abstract

The significance of textiles in Africa transcends covering nudity and fashion purposes, textiles serve identification, communicative and cultural purposes. Historically, Africans printed on fabrics using traditional methods such as stamping, dyeing and screen printing until the introduction of mechanically produced African prints in the early19th century by the Europeans. The purpose of the study was to investigate studio handcrafted techniques in the design and production of African prints. The research combines experimental and survey research designs to achieve the aim and objectives of the research. The survey research was executed using questionnaires that generated responses from textile designers from two textile industries in Lagos State (United Nigerian Textiles and Sun flag Nigeria Limited) and from African print consumers from the six States in Southwestern Nigeria. Four hundred and nineteen(419) questionnaires were administered to the thirty-five (35) textile designers in the two (2) textile industries and three hundred and eighty-four (384) African Print consumers. Information on the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, the source of designs used for African prints and how African prints have changed over a period of time were elicited from respondents. Data collected were analyzed and presented using frequency, percentages and mean score. The results show that demand is the major factor that determines the type of designs to be produced in the industry. It was also deduced from the results that motifs are generated by the designers from cultural inspirations and ideas gotten from design albums. The textile designers and consumers agreed that African prints have changed over a period of time in relations to type and size of motifs, colours and printing techniques. Thereafter, ten (10) African prints with symbolic motifs were designed using freehand drawing and CAD application; the designs were produced in the textile studio using batik, screen printing, dabbing and painting techniques. This shows that African prints can be produced in the studio using hand crafted techniques with unique and admirable results in spite of the painstaking and time consuming process.