CHAPTER 10: SURFACE DESIGN TEXTURE: AN INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT OF DESIGN FOR AFRICAN PRINTED FABRICS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION 
African wax printed fabrics that comprise of Dutch wax printed fabrics, English wax printed fabrics, Ghana wax prints, Togo prints, Cote d’Ivoire prints, Nigeria prints, imitation fancy wax prints from China and so many others known as Ankara are decorated with different bold bright colourful designs accentuated by intricate designs found at the background. These wax prints have been adopted as one of African traditional garbs and sold both in the markets and shops across the whole of Africa. Now and then 
newer designs keep evolving and many people keep purchasing them because of some properties which they possess.  
In a typical Nigerian setting, they are usually used as uniforms for different groups such as women groups, wedding ceremonies, burial ceremonies, birthday celebrations, the naming of a newborn baby ceremony, chieftaincy, coronation and title taking ceremonies. They could also be employed as everyday wear or office wear. One thing that attracts some people to these printed fabrics is the design. Without the designs on these fabrics, there might not be a story to tell because these designs speak volumes 
and convey some messages to the onlooker without a written word. 
Taking a look at these printed wax fabrics, one notices the elements and principles of design being utilized to produce some groundbreaking designs. Apart from these elements and principles of design, one striking element that gives fascination and prominence to any design is texture. Texture is one of the elements that can be manipulated to make art and design more innovative and interesting and “heighten an emotional impact” on the observers (Preble et al., 2002). Texture is an important element of art and design. It is associated with a sense of feel, which draws all the viewers' physical and mental attention to the artwork. It plays with the eyes and brain evoking thought-provoking views and ideas.  The researcher divulges that one of the major characteristics of African wax printed textiles is employing the use of a texture or textures as a design on the background.  This study is of the view that the bolder designs are usually the main focus in African wax printed designs but the texture found mostly on the design background is not often recognized because of their intricate nature. The researcher reveals that without the background textures, the whole design layout is scanty and under-designed, thereby lacking solidity and originality. Therefore, this paper is of the view that the functions of textural background designs in African wax-printed fabrics cannot be ignored and have not been given the adequate attention they deserve as those designs are not complete without textures. Thus this paper discusses texture as a vital element employed in the designs of African wax-printed textiles and showcases some of the textures utilized as surface decoration on them. It also experimented with textures in the studio and further suggests that scholars of art and design should always experiment with some textural effects to boost their creative pieces.