Social Fabric
African Textiles Today

at the British Museum
until the 21st of April


There is a very good exhibition at the Bristish Museum showing textiles from eastern and southern Africa. There will be opportunity to see a selection of kangas from Kenya and Tanzania, capulanas from Mozambique, shweshwes from southern Africa and a couple of Basotho blankets. The designs are beautiful but even more fascinating is the message these textiles convey and their history.


Yesterday there was an excellent talk on the theme by Chris Spring, curator of the African galleries at the British Museum and author of the book African Textiles Today. Each talk lasts for 45 minutes and provides a wealth of information. Well worth going! There will be another couple of talks on African textiles on the 22nd of March and the 19th of April. Check the events calender.

The photograph above is by Araminta de Clermont. It shows Sotho men wearing the traditional Basotho blankets.
 

"The other side"

Some 15 years ago  I decided to go back to further education.  In order to finance my living I got myself a job in a small take away shop in a touristic part of London.  My job was selling ice cream. When there were no customers I was either eating ice cream or being pestered by a Moroccan workmate who acted as a matchmaker on his brother's behalf.  He took every opportunity for this brainwashing activity. The plan was simple and has been done by many.  I needed to write a letter inviting his brother to come over to England. We were to get married. We needed to live in the same house for one or two months but no need to sleep together. I would get "paid". We would stay married for 3 years and after that period of time we could get divorced.

                                                                     ...


The matchmaker was unsuccessful.


Eating ice cream everyday for 3 months completely killed my love for it.

 

BIODEGRADABLE  DOLL

made with a corn carrier bag

can be thrown in the compost bin