The Beauty of Batik

Batik fabrics are nothing new. In fact, the art of batik has been around for thousands of years.There is actually evidence of it being done in the Far East, Middle East, Central China and India.  Some historians think this art traveled along the caravan trading routes routes.  Since coming to Lagos, I have seen some very beautiful fabrics.  The beautiful bright colors found here in Nigeria are nothing short of breath taking and I am afraid in my three years here, I haven't really done the whole realm of fabric here much justice.  But, today, I got to watch a local batik artist named Johnson share his craft and let the children at Elizabeth's school watch and learn a little bit of how batik fabric is made.:)

  We started with some aprons which were provided by the school. Johnson said they would work, but thinner fabric is better and organic fabric is best such as cotton. He started off by using a small tool which looked like a pen filled with extremely hot wax and wrote all the children's names on the aprons.

 Then, he drew designs on the aprons using the hot wax.

 The hot wax is what helps to make the design on the fabric.  The next step is to actually dye the fabric.  He said he bought his dye at the local market and he added something which looked like Baking soda to the hot water and the dye.  He said it will help the color from fading when it is washed.

 Large thick gloves need to worn during the dying process because the dye can irritate the skin badly and also dye the skin. I don't know how Johnson can do this all the time.  The fumes from the dye are extremely strong.

 The kids loved watching how he dipped the aprons into the various colors of dye he had prepared.  The next step will be for him to take the aprons home with him and boil them in extremely hot water which will cause the wax to melt right off the apron.  He explained to me that he then makes sure all the wax is off the fabric by scraping it with a stick.  Then, the beautiful designs are left behind.  I'll post some pictures of the finished products after he comes back next Tuesday to drop off the finished products.  I have to say that this whole process takes a lot of time and there is an infinite number of patterns which can be designed on batik fabric. The men and women who design these fabrics are nothing short of artists.  I have really come to appreciate these fabrics since living here, and I am so happy that my little girl can start to learn an appreciation for every one's talents and crafts.:)

An Art Form

When we first moved to Lagos, I was overwhelmed by a lot of things.....the traffic, the smells, the power going out, and also by all of the beautiful artwork!!!  Never before in the U.S. would I ever just walk down the street and see artists sitting on upside down buckets whittling away at wood or creating beautiful paintings.  Sure there are areas in some of the big cities of the U.S. where you can visit to see artists.  But, here, they are everywhere!  You can find them on the street corners, at Lekki Market, at the beach and in the go-slows.  I remember our first trip to Lekki Market when I got to see so many people  making baskets to sell and carving small wooden statues and some small tables.  It is a shame that after seeing so many of these things everywhere, they are kind of taken for granted.  But, this artwork is what makes this part of the world so unique.



Another art form here in Nigeria (and in many other parts of the world) is the art of bargaining.  This is an art I have never been able to master or feel comfortable with.  I always want to just pay whatever they ask me especially when I see they have no shoes or proper clothing.  Happiness told me you are expected to bargain, and actually, if you don't that takes some of the fun out of these sale for the vendor.:)  I don't know about that, but I do know that Guy LOVES to bargain and he is a master at this art form.  It is actually quite something to see him bartering with a vendor for merchandise.  Happiness told me that you should always offer half of what they want for an item and then you can slowly go up by 50 or 100 naira until you meet somewhere in the middle. And most importantly...never EVER let  the vendor know how much you love it!  you have to be bale to walk away if you think the price is too high. You know when you have offered too low when the vendor doesn't chase after you to come back to his stall to make a purchase.  I am not kidding when I tell you that vendors will follow you through markets to get you to buy from them.:)

So, when Guy and I decided to have a coffee table, two console tables and two end tables made I left the bargaining up to him. We went out to Lekki and were able to find something we really liked and that is when the bargaining games began.  But, eventually, Guy and the vendor were able to settle on a price, and after four weeks, and a torrential rainstorm yesterday, our new furniture was delivered... 

These tables were carved from scratch from mahogany.  There are so many gifted and talented artists and carpenters here in Lagos and all of Nigeria.  These tables were made by an artist and carpenter who will most likely never be famous, but his work is beautiful nonetheless.  Watching the artists work and the entire bargaining process to purchase the goods is nothing short of an art form.:)

The Art of Adire

Since moving to Lagos, one thing I have to say that I have really found a new appreciation for is the many beautiful fabrics you will find here.  I have seen thousands of them on my trips to Balogun Market, and along the streets of Lagos as people walk by in their brightly colored outfits.  I have to admit, when I lived in the U.S., I never really gave a second thought as to how a particular fabric was made or the art behind it.  But, today, some ladies I know were able to experience a little treasure here in Lagos.  They were able to go to the Nike Art Gallery and Center for Art and Culture.  I was able to hear Nike Davies Okundaye speak a few years ago at an afternoon tea.  To say she is an interesting and amazing woman is not nearly enough.  She is absolutely incredible with an incredible life story to go right along with her.  She was born in Ogidi, Kogi state in north Central Nigeria into a Yoruba community.  She learned the art of adire ( traditional Nigerian tie and dye) from her great grandmother ( who also was a cloth weaver and indigo dyer).  Her father was a basket weaver and leather worker.  Her parents died when she was very young, and she was eventually married to a Yoruba chief and was the youngest of 16 wives!!!!!  After he passed away, she started selling her tie and dye work and eventually went on to open up several galleries(even in New York, New York!!). Not only is she an amazing artist, but she teaches free classes to poor, underprivileged Nigerian women to empower them to help themselves in a society in which women have been oppressed for centuries.

I was completely bummed out that I couldn't go to the gallery today to see the tie and dye process Nike teaches, but one of my friends took a scarf of mine and was able to tie- dye it there for me!!!!!:) ( Thanks, Karin!)

For more information on Nike and her life and how she developed her amazing career and service, click here and here.  Maybe one day, I'll get to go and see her again, but for now, I have a little piece of her art...