This video features footage of the production of akwétè cloths. One of West Africa’s oldest and most celebrated textile traditions, akwétè is named for an Igbo community in southeast Nigeria and woven exclusively by women. The boldly colored fabrics with striking patterns are worn on ceremonial and festive occasions—including at the ámà, or village square. The akwétè cloths showcased in this video were made for inclusion in Ámà: The Gathering Place, a site-specific commission by Emeka Ogboh on view in the museum’s Ames Family Atrium.

Akwétè, 2019
Video, color, stereo sound; 5:03 min.

Emeka Ogboh (Nigerian, born 1977)

Courtesy of the artist