A studio exploration of selected material culture of the karamajong for fabric decoration.

Abstract

The guide book has covered and made a studio exploration of selected material culture of the Karamajong for fabric decoration with specific reference to marriage. In this study, the researcher was envisaged by the need to utilize the Karamajong material culture for sources of inspiration in fabric decoration. The researcher realized that many artists may not have fully utilized the symbols, form and colours of the Karamajong marriage ceremony and went further to exploit it further through studio exploration. Five artifacts of the Karamajong marriage ceremony were selected for fabric decoration and these included: walking /ceremonial stick for prestige and honor, stool slung over the arm, for sitting and resting, Headdress for identification and beautification, bangles, beaded necklaces, earrings for identification and beauty, and calabashes for butter to be smeared on bride and groom. These were used for motifs and then later applied on fabrics using the screen printing techniques. The study was guided by four objectives which included the following: to identify the marriage artifacts of the Karamajong, to analyze the symbols of the marriage artifacts, to establish the characteristics of selected artifacts and to produce studio works in fabric decoration. The study reviewed various artworks done by several artists in the literature review where gaps had been identified as regards material culture artifacts. The researcher used both the exploratory and qualitative research design. The researcher went further to use the library/archival, interviews using questionnaires for fifty (50) Karamajong respondents, participant observation and studio experimentation. For studio experimentation, the researcher observed through photography and these were made into drawings to finally motifs using the five marriage artifacts of the karamajong. She further used the screen printing technique and specifically applied the basic elements of design: colour, shape/form, and texture to portray the beautiful artifacts of the Karamajong marriage ceremony, that may have been ignored, for fabric decoration. Final fabrics were later transformed for three dimensional products of furniture, fashion, soft furnishing, and bags. Finally, the study might help students; artists arouse interest in utilizing material cultural artifacts such as the Karamajong marriage ceremony, for any sources of inspiration in any artfield. This may help to pmiray the value of a culture to the world by producing final products which are unique, original in appearance.