Sirigu Symbols: A Metaphoric Element for Batik Prints

Abstract

Textile design and elements of design exist within a context—philosophical, cultural, location and gender specific—from which it emerges and without which it does not exist. Textile designers and art philosophers cannot escape the influence of past metaphors and culture any more than they can remain untouched by current trends in technology, and design. This paper seeks to establish the fact that Sirigu symbols (a thriving cultural symbolism of Northern Ghana seen as a mural wall painting) can be artistically transferred onto fabrics as batik motifs capable of meeting the contemporary concepts of textile design print. The study employed both the descriptive and experimental methods to produce samples of batik design prints for the Ghanaian market. It explored the use of mercerized cotton and vat dyes to produce fashionable clothing. The result of the study indicates that Sirigu symbols can be transferred onto fabrics to bring aesthetic variations and metaphoric significance that can compete favourable with other symbolic clothing. The concept could be explored further to inspire and educate producers as well as students to increase innovation. Discussions were based on academic, historical, cultural, philosophical and artistic contexts. The piece captured the communicative dynamics inherent in symbolic fabric design print and showed inventiveness, diversity, contrast, harmony, multiplicity and stability. The research proved that such traditional symbols still have enormous import for contemporary textile design concepts to promote the culture of Ghanaian textile products.

Keywords: culture, metaphor, aesthetic symbolism, Sirigu Symbols, Sirigu mural paintings.