Nyamuhanga

Nyamuhanga is a model that was designed by our Emerging Artists  (Aganyira Laura, Oselle Barnabas and Muhanuzi David) during a costume design workshop.

THE DRESS:

The cloth is inspired by West African and Afro Caribbean dresses from Benin, Haiti, Togo and Nigeria.

THE HEADBAND:

The headband with the flower is inspired by Central African designs even though this design could be

found in 1600s Europe, especially among aristocratic dance circles.

REASONS FOR THE COSTUME:

We wanted to express a pan-African identity through expression of an African identity. It is common to experience moments of self-doubt and insecurity when it comes to people of African descent as regards their self-perception. Therefore, we designed this costume to boost the confidence of African-descended people through this piece, which emphasizes pan-African self-confidence.

FUNCTION OF COSTUME:

The costume is a ritual costume inspired by the technicolor vodoun cloaks of Benin and the Zangbeto spirit dancer costumes used in Vodoun ceremonies placating Dahomean goddess Aido Hwedo. In Dahomey, the goddess was represented by a snake eating its tail signifying the Africanist symbol of the circle of life. Birth, death, and rebirth.

Snakes whose spiritual significance is often misunderstood were revered for the shading of their skin which Dahomians metaphorized as a rebirth of one’s soul, especially after a traumatic event in their life similar to the modern adage, what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.