Oluwafemi Ogungbenle

Integrating Tradition and Innovation: Producing Yoruba Adire Motifs ‘Itan Owo’ with Batik and Digital Design on eco-friendly Cottons Using Sustainable Dyes.

Sustainable design is the foundation of Thomas’ textile approach, which aims to preserve and reimagine Yoruba cultural heritage. His artwork centres on the Itan Owo theme, which illustrates how Nigerian currency changed over time, starting with the sacred cowrie shell, which was utilised in religious rites and as a medium of exchange. Later, it changed to the English pound during the colonial era and finally took on its current form as the Naira.

The cowrie, a key element in Thomas’ visual language, serves not only as a decorative motif but also as a representation of spiritual richness, ancestral memory, and indigenous economic systems. This work investigates and visualises this shift of trading, which signifies both economic and cultural significance.

Thomas aims to restore Yoruba Indigo dyeing as a living language of meaning, memory and sustainability. This textile conveys the richness of solving Africa’s ecological conditions established from Adire production, while being rooted in traditional Batik techniques whilst influenced by contemporary digital printing methods. The use of natural Indigo with blends of turmeric and madder evokes Yoruba heritage of ritual and culture whilst ethically providing biodegradable, low-impact alternatives to synthetic chemicals that are currently being used today.

Thomas works serve as the conceptual basis for Femest Textile Hub, a platform for the future where ecological design and history preservation collide to facilitate local and international discussions on sustainability, identity, and craft.