Behold - Part 3: Reframng Global Design History

In parts one and two of this series, I have outlined how the misclassification of African artifacts through colonial narratives has devalued the intelligence of their creators and rendered them as art and craft. In this article, we look at how Afro-design permeates through time and space, how it's an inescapable presence that the modern world cannot deny.

The Futures of Design and the Power of Habit

It's no secret the history of colonization led to the abrupt displacement of millions of Africans with cultural practices coming to a halt, the heritage and artifacts of a people looted, destroyed and the plunder preserved in nationally guarded buildings. Yet, as grim a picture as the reality of 90% of sub-Saharan African artifacts still residing in Western museums today.

African design philosophies and elements resided not only in these museums but also in the homes of European travelers and object collectors of the mid-1800s to 1900s who had the privilege of beholding original Afro-design such as chairs, stools, headrests, basketry, and beds. Their prolonged exposure to and study of them enabled them to usher in new aesthetics and design thinking. In this and future essays, I aim to explore how design elements and techniques from various African regions shaped the Bauhaus Movement—an absolute personal favorite—and the broader wave of modernism recognizing the sophisticated design philosophy and elements from Africa and this a legacy we must reclaim.

Design Imaginaries at our Fingertips

Imagine how African design might have evolved had it been regarded on equal footing with global peers. If the transcultural societies we are beginning to see today had been built on peaceful interactions, sharing ideas and knowledge, African design would have flourished. Concepts rooted in African design could have influenced policy, education, politics, creative expression, and notably, our homes and personal adornments. In contemporary society, the objects that adorn our homes are often mass-produced and lack the breadth of thought found in the choice of material, shape, size, and ergonomic functions that went into Afro-designed artifacts made before, during, and post-colonization.

Notably the South African Design Industry has made strides in placing Afro-design on the world stage. This has been sustainably accomplished through print media, transindustry collaborations, research exhibitions, digital archiving, and education. Such initiatives are pivotal to African design Futures but this can and will only be made possible with a radically different approach to design. The Futures for African design will be centered around people and planet first. We can glean this from looking at alternative economies, and broad-spectrum decolonial research in the music and fashion industries.

The Future of Design Futures

Reflecting on the ideas presented, it’s clear that we are at the early stages of a transformative shift in how African design is perceived and valued. Just as the product adoption curve highlights the rise of early adopters, we’re seeing a similar trend in the archiving and celebrating African design within contemporary spaces like Instagram. Yet, this is just the beginning. Decolonial thought has merely scratched the surface, and as we move forward, the futures of design will not only involve rediscovering the past but also reimagining the ways we research, analyze, and articulate that past. This shift will undoubtedly lead to the emergence of new, pluralistic design typologies that challenge and expand our current design lexicon.

Conclusion

As I explored in my previous article, "Africa Needs a New Design Lexicon," it is crucial for us to redefine how we speak about and engage with African design. The language we use to describe design has a profound impact on how it is understood, valued, and integrated into the global narrative. By embracing a new lexicon, and, in an attempt to rightly frame global design history that includes Afro-centric design, we can begin to reclaim the legacy of African design and ensure that it is celebrated not as a relic of the past, but as a dynamic and influential force that formed part of shaping furniture, homeware and built environments in both recent design history.

For a deeper dive into the necessity of this new design language, you can read the full article here.