Textiles and their philosophical and cultural significance, their ability to immortalize feelings and life circumstances, are an important part of interpersonal communication in the Ghanaian culture.
My practice closely relates to pre-colonial methods, such as oral storytelling and the in- tergenerational inheritance of memory in the form of sculptures, poems, and fabrics and clothing.
In my work, I have reformulated the digital practice of so called gel electrophoresis - fingerprints that are transferred into a stripe pattern - with the deep ancestral knowledge of the Ghanaian kente textile.
The entire image is rasterized. Since the Stoll knitting machine can not knit wider than 100 cm, two details measuring 70 cm and 50 cm are produced.
The completed file is then imported into the designated program of the Stoll industrial knitting machine. A cotton blend is used for the prototype and the entire piece is tightly knitted by the machine.
Finally, the knitted components are steamed into shape so that all corners and edges align precisely and can be sewn together into a textile.
prototype
The result is a knit that is heavy, that is valuable, that tells a history in the form of knitted fingerprints, muted colors that remind me of being German, and a unique family story. Textiles tell the stories of the people, of the places, whose stories are often untold and unheard.
This project has been a journey of deep engagement with my family and relatives, a journey that has moved me profoundly. Through the image and meaning of the genetic fingerprint, I have explored the possibility to visually embody the bonds that tie me to them in a textile. I have woven together the stories and fates of my ancestors, as well as my own values and goals. I have created a unique and valuable product that links three approaches: the traditional Kente fabric, the contemporary DNA analysis, and the personal artistic expression. This is an artwork that I can cherish and pass on from generation to gene- ration, an artwork that reflects my sincere connection to other people and my independent transformation of the Kente fabric while honoring its authenticity and value.
2023
