Kente cloth is unique to Ghana and Togo, and it is arguably the most recognized art form of Africa. There are two styles of Kente based on tribal affiliation, Ashante and Ewe. My first interactions with the Ewe weavers was in the village of Kpetoe where I would visit as often as I possibly could. Kpetoe is located in the Volta Region of Ghana and has been a center of Ewe Kente weaving for a very long time.
I was drawn to the traditional Ewe patterns and there are few weavers left capable of producing many of these. It took a bit of asking around to find weavers capable of producing the various patterns I was most interested in.
The weavers work as a collective. This is a common practice across many traditional cultures, unlike the Western model of the stand-alone artisan. Each works on their own loom and sees each cloth through from beginning to finish, but decisions on who gets what projects are done in a democratic way.

16” Dia. X 17” H

17”

African Mahogany, painted wood, Ewe Kente cloth

$950