Adire: the art and politics of Yoruba resist dyed cloth

Dr Will Rea introduces the history, styles and techniques of a dyed cloth from Nigeria known as Adire in this talk at ULITA – an Archive of International Textiles.

Associated with the Yoruba people, the cloth is known for its distinct patterns and techniques which identify specific areas and modes of production.

The importance of Adire goes beyond its use as cloth. This lecture outlines the history of its making, demonstrating the centrality of this textile in the development of a Yoruba identity in relation to the British Empire, as well as investigating its place in contemporary Nigeria.

Dr Will Rea is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies. His research is more generally focussed on the art history of West Africa, both in terms of the classical traditions and the visual response to modernity. Dr Rea has previously been associated with ULITA through his co-curation of Yoruba Textiles in 2012.

The event is free to attend and all are welcome. Please book via Eventbrite.

The lecture will be followed by a late opening of the exhibition Resists: exploring resist-dyed textiles across cultures at ULITA — an Archive of International Textiles from 7pm – 7.30pm.

See here for details of the full programme of events organised alongside ULITA's Part of Resists: exploring resist-dyed textiles across cultures exhibition.

Photo: Selling stencilled Adire in Ibadan, Nigeria. © Will Rea.