Adinkra

Adinkra symbols, resembling m any other visual symbols, set out been employ everywhere many years to communicate, represent and characterize a myriad of ideas, beliefs and concepts. in the first place created by the people of Gyaman, Adinkra has grown to become the most extensively used and widely cognise traditional symbolic art in gold coast and to an appreciable extent, West Africa. By carefully considering the depth of wisdom in the meanings of these symbols, is not surprising that they are often linked with a legion of some(prenominal) proverbial maxims.The very essence of the word Adinkra is farthermoste wholesome as such, every symbol that is encapsulated in the whole body of Adinkra communicates or corresponds to a unique message or idea. Documented history has it that, as far back as the nineteenth century, unique Adinkra symbols were used in general and traditional rites of society to depict the ideological stance of that society as regards to the ceremony or event in question. The art was showcased in miscellaneous forms during festivals, funerals, marriages among others.Today, the use of Adinkra has been widely extended to cover almost every vista of life. In recent times, Adinkra symbols have become a suitable excerpt of stigmatisation the modern, competitive, and trendy Ghanaian clothing lifestyle. Over the years, Adinkra has gone beyond traditional cloth-making designs and has been fashionably incorporated into the designing of t-shirts, buttons, linen fabric clothes. Today, spring chicken people would prefer t-shirts with screen-printing inscriptions like Me firi Ghana, with an Adinkra like Gye Nyame boldly intentional beneath.Indeed, some acclaimed Ghanaian fashion designers like Mawuli Okudzeto, Kofi Ansah among others, have received multinational recognition by carving such niches for themselves, with ordinary brand happen upons like MKOGH and PKOG, just to mention a few. Beyond that, apparels like footgear have alike had a taste of Adinkra art. Artisans who make local footwear like sandals, slippers and ahenema have also included these symbols in their designs. For instance, a topic totallyy made ahenema has a carefully designed Adinkra symbol of three concentric rings encircling each other, known as adinkrahene at the thread of each slipper.One other art is the design of bags with Adinkra symbols woven or run up on the surface with fabric, (often kente pieces). The most pop addition to this art gathering is the use of these designs in making jewellery and other fashion accessories. It is popular to see rings, pendants, earrings, necklaces, anklets, beads and many others designed with symbols like ohene aniwa, epa, nkonsonkonson, etc. In Ghana, the Precious Mineral Marketing Company (PMMC) is a typical face of an enterprise in this regard.Thus, on the international stage, Adinkra symbols have been employed as one of, if not the best indigenous symbols that give all behavior of clothing, a uniq ue fashion identity easily recognisable as truly Ghanaian. Quite apart from clothing, these symbols have formed part of locally designed mulct and visual art. This has been such that, in creation of several Ghanaian sculptures, Adinkra has been one of the most recognisable themes. There many instances of alloy and wooden sculpture designed into Adinkra. More often than not, these visual and fine arts have been used by individuals for decorative purposes.It is now banality to see a wall hanging in someones home, at the lobby of a corporate institution or in the sitting area of an afro-centric restaurant with the caption welcome and a popular symbol like Gye Nyame underneath it. Without a shred of doubt any Ghanaian who sees this in any institution in any contrasted part of the world, feels quite homey and comfortable, to some extent, immediately. Moreover, the designs of wooden plaques lately have also adopted Adinkra symbols. For instance, African institutions of late present Adi nkra-designed plaques to individuals and entities, as gifts and awards for glorious performances.Woodcarvers as at today, still design stools for domestic as well as traditional purposes with these popular symbols. In Akan traditional homes, stools often known as asesedwa are carved out of wood with these designs. Today as a unique of catching up with the west, local artisans have modernize their design of home furniture placed in areas like the financial support room, dining room and the study. Beautiful and attractive-looking sets are being carved daily. A common example is wooden coffee-table, which has an Adinkra symbol like sankofa at the fore with a glass plane on the surface.Hence it is ordinary to see the rich use of Adinkra in fine and visual art because of the inherent aesthetic merits they possess. In present day, the use of symbols for trademarks and emblems cannot be over-emphasized. In corporate branding and marketing, many institutions have resorted to the use o f symbols, both tactile and visual, as a mark of exclusivity and Adinkra are symbols of no exception. There are countless examples of institutions of all sorts who have adopted these symbols as logos, emblem, etc.In Ghana, for instance, a corporate institution like HFC Bank uses the symbol ebankese as its corporate logo. Interestingly, Vodafone Ghana has designed their recharge cards such that whichever denomination has a long berth Adinkra symbols in front of the card. A popular plastics company by prenomen Strong Plast Ltd also uses the popular symbol, Gye Nyame as a brand name for its plastic chairs. A very popular flour mill also uses sankofa as the brand name of it flour. On a lighter side, on the coastal area it is fun to see fishermen decorate their canoes with these symbols as an kindle way of ownership.