Sunday, February 6, 2011

Massai

In the last two days, two lovely Face book friends have for some reason  been going on about this quilt of mine 'Massai' and so it just struck me to feature it next on my community page, in order to share the beautiful story of the Massai people of East Africa.

The Massai are very ordinary people with a very simple life style, they have always reminded me that the simple and best things in life are free, and beyond all the hardship that Africa endures, they prove that you can see 'Happy' in any difficult situation. They wear the whitest smile, and the darkest complexion, characteristics so unique of people who reside along that part of the equator.

The Masai are semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Due to their distinctive customs and dress, the Massai choose to reside near the game parks of East Africa, they are among the most well known of the African ethnic groups.They speak Maa, a local dialect. As well as Swahili and English.


They are live stock farmers, and I have always been intrigued by their unique appearance, the stretching and piercing of the their ear lobes, including the thorns they use for piercing, as well as twigs, stones, the pieces of elephant tusks, and empty film canisters they wear in their earlobes. Red is the most favored color of the Massai men.
This quilt 'Massai' is up for exhibit in March and you just might see it at a show in you state, so keep looking!!

I created this abstract work to share the beautiful story of the Masai people of East Africa. Fabrics used are hand dyed fabrics and Kente prints. Work is machine appliqued, quilted,and lightly hand painted.
Massai 55W  261/2L

2 comments:

  1. What a beautiful quilt and well deserving of being on exhibit.

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  2. Thanks BJ< I can see you were here! Its really nice to to have you as one if my team.

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