The legacy of African fabrics and stamping to afro brazilian identity and culture

Abstract

This article aims to present African fabrics and prints as conduit of hybrid identities, which build a web of knowledge along their economic, cultural and social articulations. Through bibliographic research and interviews, we aim to understand the social role of Wax, Adinkra and Ofi/Pano da Costa fabrics as cultural heritages that preserve and conveys aspects of history, philosophy, values and sociocultural norms of the peoples of Africa. These fabrics become increasingly important as they present themselves as a  representation screen of African identities and Afro-Brazilian identity renewals. In order to strengthen the national memory and to raise the awareness of African contributions in Brazil, we propose the study of African fabrics, their stamping narratives and their veryday uses as a tool for spreading the legacy of resistance of African peoples in diaspora throughout the world.