ADAPTATION OF TRADITIONAL DESIGNS ON CRAFTS OF SOUTHERN KADUNA AS MOTIFS FOR TEXTILES RESIST TECHNIQUES

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Author

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Department of Environmental Design

ABSTRACT
The problem of this study is that of the selection, documentation, explanation and preservation of some of the traditional motifs found on the crafts of Southern Kaduna and adapting them for contemporary use on fabric using Resist Techniques of fabric decoration. The general objective of the study is to select and manipulate traditional designs on crafts of Southern Kaduna and adapt them for use as motifs on contemporary resist fabric decoration, thereby ensuring the sustainability of such motifs. The purposes of the study are: 1. To identify the traditional crafts of Southern Kaduna and the design motifs on them. 2. To extract some of these motifs and adapt or transfer them onto fabrics using resist techniques of textile decoration method. The study adopts survey method for data collection to obtain relevant information from the subjects in the sample as suggested by Adetoro (1997). Exploratory approach and product development (R&D) was used for sourcing for designs on crafts as suggested by Itten (1997), Belfer (1976) and Anderson (1961). Other parameters of investigation used in exploratory methodology include population of the study, sampling, pilot study and experiments for adaptation of designs to textile fabrics using resist techniques. Three survey instruments were used in the study. The first one which is a questionnaire (Appendix II) was used for pilot and the second one Appendix III (A) questionnaire was used for collecting data of the fifteen traditional crafts of Southern Kaduna. The third one (Appendix III B questionnaire) was used for the assessment of the resist pieces of fabric produced from the modified traditional design motifs extracted from - 8 - the crafts of Southern Kaduna for comparison with those produced within the recent period. This was done by presenting the two motifs to a randomly selected sample of 117 respondents, comprising 51 lecturers and 66 textile students comprising 33 students each from the Fine and Applied Arts and Home Economics Departments of the Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan-Waya. The comparative assessment questionnaire is a five Likert scaled instrument. The randomly selected, modified, and adapted motifs used in this study are: 1. Nok-head which is a symbolic motif that articulates the artistic culture of Southern Kaduna. 2. Dangyet is a symbolic motif of women maturity and dignity. 3. Kikyak is a symbolic motif of weaving and peace. 4. Udung is a symbolic motif of crown of terracottas excellence 5. Chon is a symbol of sharpness and strength. Based on the analysis of the study, the following findings were made: 1. The production of traditional crafts in Southern Kaduna is on the downward trend. 2. Fifteen different crafts are still being practised in Southern Kaduna. 3. The traditional crafts of Southern Kaduna have symbolic motifs with traditional names and are adaptable on textile fabrics, using the resist techniques of fabric decoration. 4. Cultural and environmental factors such as festivals, annual cultural day celebrations, naming ceremonies, marriages, burial, initiation rites and aesthetic values are guiding the use of the traditional Southern Kaduna design motifs. 5. Print fabric and vat dyes are quite suitable for the practical adaptation of the Southern Kaduna design motifs on fabrics using the resist techniques. The general conclusion is that although the production of crafts in Southern Kaduna is on the downward trend, it is still being practised with symbolic motifs that are adaptable on fabric using resist techniques.