An Innovatively Woven Totemic Ewe Kete with Lace Effects for Unity and Identity in the Volta Region, Ghana

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and generate motifs from Ewe totems to be used in the design and construction of Ewe kete with "lace effect'' (or breathable) to symbolise the unity and identity of the Ewe people in Ghana. As an art studio-based practice, the study employs Adobe Photoshop, the computer graphics software that aids in easily manipulating images for textile designs, as a main design tool for generating the designs. Motifs were developed from various clan totems in the Anlo state and finally used to weave the Ewe kete with a Traditional loom. The research was based on a qualitative approach using studio-based practice and descriptive research methods. A purposive sampling technique was used to determine the sample population of chiefs, linguists, kete weavers and kete sellers. Observation and unstructured interview guides were the main instruments used for data collection. The study revealed that clan totems from Agbozume, Klikor, Anloga, Keta and Anlo-Afiadenyigba and the adjoined communities from Ketu South Municipality and Anlo-Keta Municipality could be fused or embedded into Ewe Kete. This study concluded that totems and other traditional symbols can be used for textile design (weaving) with relevant computer-aided software. It emerged from the study that the woven Kete fabric can educate the youth and identify and unite clans and the weaving industry in the region. The researchers, therefore, recommended that a chart of the traditional Ewe totems, as well as the abstracted ones made by the researchers, should be displayed in museums, libraries, and cultural and social centres for identification and education.