XVII Congress of the Brazilian Studies Association

Circulation of Africanness through Axé and Ankara Fabrics

• In Event: Tramando Sensibilidades Têxteis: Brasil-África II

Abstract

The popularity of ankara, manufactured fabrics based on the Javanese batiks produced by European and Chinese companies marketed to West Africa, has dramatically increased in the last decade in Brazil. Several reasons can explain this phenomenon, notably the material connection the fabric establishes with the African continent. This paper delves into the interplay between the circulation of ankara prints and the subsequent fragmentation and reinterpretation of these prints in the Brazilian Afro-Diaspora while maintaining connections to African cultural practices. Through a combination of ethnographic fieldwork, image analysis, and scholarly sources, this study investigates the nuances and ways in which Afro-Brazilian communities have reinterpreted ankara prints in response to the socio-cultural environment. It explores “reinterpretation” as a key practice of circulation of Africanness from the African continent to its Diasporas. Through "interpretations," e.g., naming the prints, uses in cultural or fashion practices etc, the Africanness is infused in the prints turning fabric and its interpretations indissociable. The fabric circulates through market flows within the African continent and abroad through axé. In Yoruba philosophy, axé is a divine essence, an energy present in all living and nonliving things, which informs and activates artistic processes and experiences. Axé carries the energy of Africanness discharged elsewhere. In the Afro-Brazilians Diaspora, such interpretations are fragmented and “reinterpreted.” While reinterpretations of ankara prints have transformed to resonate with the challenges faced by generations of Afro-Brazilians, they remain connected to their African references. This continuity highlights the enduring power of axé in circulation and transformation. This study illuminates the dynamic of interpretations in the Brazilian context. By exploring the dynamics of circulations of interpretations through axé, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the malleability of ankara prints in diasporic communities and highlights the persisting material connections between Africa and its Diasporas.

Author

• Dandara Maia Schellenberg, University of Bayreuth