Decor: Kanga Cloth Lamps and Pendants
[Image credits: Light Pendants, Lamps, and Fabrics – Primitive Modern Arts]
Recently introduced to Primitive Modern Arts, a Los Angeles-based gallery and boutique, I was taken with the vibrant, colourful Kanga cloth lamps and pendants dotted around the space. Made by Wamuhu Waweru, the founder of Primitive Modern Arts, or PriMo Arts as it is also known, the lighting has an air of festivity about them, quite apt for the space in which they are displayed. A designer, stylist, and event producer, Wamuhu set-up PriMo Arts in the summer of 2012, and has just celebrated the gallery’s first year in existence.
PriMo Arts is a culturally inspired space, one that embraces the diversity in global cultures, and pays particular homage to Wamuhu’s Kenyan heritage. Visitors to the gallery will find stunning examples of elaborate Maasai beading in traditional collars and necklaces; along with contemporary art and sculpture, traditional West African carvings, fabrics, furniture upholstered with distinctively patterned wax cloth fabrics, and contemporary African design in clothing and accessories. In addition to showcasing globally-inspired creativity, PriMo Arts also hosts cultural events and entertainment for guests to experience and learn about other cultures.
A few months ago I saw a TV segment on the fascinating history of the Kanga, its origins, development, and relevance. Also known as Lesso, the Kanga is a distinctive fabric of social and political importance in East Africa, namely Kenya and Tanzania, and is known locally for the Kiswahili inscriptions it bears that convey messages from words of wisdom to advice on areas such as health education; as well as denoting wealth by the quality and amount of cloth an owner has. The fabric gets its name from ‘Kanga’, the Kiswahili word for a guinea fowl, and is thought to have been given the name due to the prevalence of dots used in the fabric’s earlier designs, that resembled the markings on the bird in question. If you would like to know more about Kanga fabric, Wanderlust magazine as an informative interview with Chris Spring, the author of Social Fabric: African Textiles Today, about the origins and significance of the fabrics in the communities in which it is used.
Additional information sourced from:
www.wanderlust.co.uk
Additional details:
For further information about Primitive Modern Arts visit: www.primitivemodernarts.com
