Cloth

Vervaardiging: Kadiato Kamara Sierra Leone · 1982

The multicoloured map of Africa is painted with a small circular motif on a blue background. The outline of the map of Africa was drawn with pencil on white cotton. On the pencil line very small circles were tied off with thread. Mrs. Kamara (see M6-46) put blue, red and green synthetic paint in plastic bottles and first sprayed the red, then the green and finally the blue paint on the tied off areas. After she had also made the background blue, she rinsed the cloth.This pattern (see M6-47) is made up of 2 patterns, viz. Kawyay: the small circles indicating the outline of Africa (Smol Kawyay) and the large circles within it (Big Kawyay). Kawyay is Krio for cow's eye (cf. English: cow's eye) (see 5270-13).\n2e. Klawd: the tessellation 'ín' Africa. Klawd is Krio for cloud (cf. English: cloud).‖ The result is an entirely new pattern, namely the map of Africa.‖ This canvas was made by Mrs. Kamara in early 1982 especially for the exhibition. The idea for an exhibition had just been born; K.K. Gerbrands and Mrs. Kamara were both very enthusiastic. It had to be an exhibition in the Netherlands, about Gara, made by Mrs. Kamara in Africa.\This cloth is Gara; this cloth is (the map of) Africa; this cloth was made by Mrs. Kamara.\And besides:\This is the idea of the exhibition. Because the idea of the exhibition is so clearly embodied in the cloth, it can serve excellently as an emblem for the exhibition.\You can't say that the cloth is a work of art in itself. The cloth is a work of art in itself; the cloth is beautiful. (Insofar as art and beautiful are relative and subjective concepts). In these two properties of the cloth lies another basic idea, namely: Gara is applied art.‖ Mrs. Kamara made the cloth entirely on her own initiative; K.K.Gerbrands received it as a gift entirely unexpectedly after she had just photographed the dyeing process of it. \For the exhibition" said Mrs. Kamara. When the cloth will be used for that is not yet known.