Unwrapping African Commemorative Cloth

This exhibition centres the substantial array of African commemorative textiles available for study from the Department of Human Ecology's Anne Lambert Clothing and Textiles Collection. As part of growing public interest in rightfully recognizing the important role the African diasporan community occupies in Canadian culture, these artifacts have been researched and presented for virtual display.

These remarkable factory-produced textiles reflect the post-colonial struggle for dignity, freedom, and self-determination on the African continent, as well as commemorate figures or events of historical significance. Textiles in this exhibit represent over six decades of commercially-printed cloth from Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Cameroon, Malawi, Tchad, and Zimbabwe (in order of appearance).

Funding for this project was provided by the Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Researcher Award in the Department of Human Ecology.