Akwa Postcards · Cotonou, Benin

Symbolic storytelling in West African wax prints

Symbolic storytelling in West African wax prints, a postcard from Cotonou, Benin

Some wax prints are not patterns,
they are conversations.
Symbols travel across cloth
like rumours across a market.

The story

Certain wax prints carry names and meanings tied to social messages; the wearer's choice of cloth can communicate intent across a marketplace before a word is spoken.

The artwork on this postcard is an AI generated Akwa design.

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