Wrapper (adire alabere)

Each concentric square of this cloth’s overall grid-like pattern features a unique linear design at its center. The artist employed a stitch-resist process called adire alabere to create these intricate motifs. After tightly stitching the cloth with a variety of techniques using a needle and thread, the artist saturated the cloth in an indigo bath until the desired color was achieved. Once the cloth was dry, the artist removed the stitches to reveal the complex designs in blue and white. This cloth is comprised of two strips of factory-produced cotton sewn together and worn as a wrap around a woman’s body. Yoruba women and men wore adire cloth wrappers as everyday dressing until the mid-20th century, when imported dyes and multi-colored, commercially-printed fabrics became fashionable.