CREATIVE REUSE PROJECT
Woven Kente Cloth

Textiles are symbolic and unique to different cultures. The Kente cloth is a silk and cotton fabric native to the Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Originally, a sacred cloth of kings, it has now become an icon of African cultural heritage around the world. Each of the bright colors has a symbolic meaning. Please see the kente cloth wikipedia page for more information including symbolic meanings of the colors.
Materials needed: Strips of paper and fabric, ribbons, and other trim
Applications Across Subjects:
Math |
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ELA |
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Social Studies |
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Science |
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Social & Emotional |
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Instructions
Cut ribbon and paper or fabric strips into the same lengths. Begin weaving together to create a Kente-inspired textile.

El Anatsui at the Brooklyn Museum. The Ghanian artist combines old aluminum materials and weaves them into tapestries inspired by West Africa’s traditional textiles.

Kente Cloth (Ghanaian). Seattle Art Museum. Gift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
