Culture
African designers have been urged to document their creative processes and promote indigenous materials to preserve the continent’s cultural heritage and drive innovation.
Titi Ogufere, Founder of Design Week Lagos, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), during the pre-launch of Design Museum Africa (DMA) on Saturday.
Design Museum Africa is an initiative aimed at documenting and showcasing African design across different creative fields.
Ogufere said the museum would showcase African designers’ works, including architecture, furniture, film and other creative expressions, while preserving knowledge about their production processes.
She said that inadequate documentation had contributed to the loss of traditional crafts and limited the development of indigenous materials and techniques.
“When I moved back to Nigeria, it was very difficult finding information about things. The reason why we are not developing our raw materials is that there is no information,” she said.
Ogufere recalled that traditional innovations, citing clay pots used to cool water, as examples of indigenous knowledge that could inspire modern technological solutions if properly documented.
She said that Nigeria had abundant natural resources that designers could transform into innovative products, adding that local materials offered opportunities for economic growth and global competitiveness.
According to her, the initiative is also working with established designers whose works feature in international museums, while providing platforms for emerging talents to gain visibility.
Victor Ekpuk, a multimedia artist whose works were collected by museums in the U.S. and the Middle East, said African design was not lacking but needed greater international exposure.
“We are not lacking. We just need to tell the world what we have,” Ekpuk told NAN, commending Design Week Lagos for promoting African creativity and encouraging young designers to explore their cultural heritage.
He identified design exhibitions, formal education and parental involvement as important ways to inspire younger generations to appreciate African culture and develop confidence in their identities.
Ekpuk also stressed the importance of preserving indigenous languages, saying cultural awareness could help young Africans understand their heritage and draw inspiration from it.
Charles Job, a designer and architect with a furniture design studio in Zurich, Switzerland, described the initiative as an important foundation for increasing public, political and business awareness of design.
Joe said that exposing young designers to wider audiences could help them develop their skills and establish themselves professionally.
“For young designers, the first instinct should not be about making money. You have to learn the job, get good at what you do, and then eventually make money from it,” he told NAN.
He said young designers needed to concentrate on mastering their craft before focusing on its financial rewards, adding that professional competence could create opportunities for sustainable careers.
The pre-launch featured selected works by established designers, including pieces presented for auction, further highlighting the value of African creativity and its potential in the global design market.
The initiative seeks to strengthen the documentation, preservation and promotion of African design while encouraging innovation through the use of indigenous knowledge and locally available materials. (NAN)
