Archive
From Whence We Came
28–30 November 2024The 5th edition of the Kaduna Fashion and Art Festival (KAFART) invited us to embark on a contemplative journey, exploring the profound and intricate connections between our past, present, and future. The theme, From Whence We Came , called on artists, fashion designers, and audiences alike to reflect on the threads of heritage, identity, environment, and shared human experiences that shape who we are and inform where we are headed. This year, KAFART served as a platform for interrogation and introspection, compelling us to ask: where are we coming from, and where are we going? Through the lens of contemporary art and fashion, we delved into histories that inform our present realities, unravelling the cultural, societal, and environmental legacies that define us as a society, a country, and a continent. The works presented under this theme highlighted the intersections of tradition and innovation, the tensions between preservation and transformation, and the enduring human quest for meaning. From visual explorations of heritage and identity to sartorial expressions of resilience and adaptation, the festival became a living archive, bridging temporal and spatial divides. As we…
Into the Art of Making
10–12 November 2023Into the Art of Making brought contemporary and indigenous worlds of art into conversation, tracing nostalgia, memory and identity through art and fashion. The exhibition approached making as a way of carrying history forward: material practices inherited from those before us, and the new ways artists and designers reclaim, interpret and share them. Across painting, photography, sculpture, textiles, fashion and installation, the edition invited audiences into distinct narratives of the art of making. Works considered self-portraiture and the desire to reconnect with cultural origin; the complexities of African-diaspora identity; the lives of fishing communities in Kaduna; royalty and its meanings; childhood memories in Kaduna's suburbs; and responses to contemporary social questions. Traditional African crafts, passed from one generation to the next, formed an important thread. Beyond their role as livelihoods, these practices hold social and cultural significance, carrying knowledge, identity and memory across time.
Cultural Xchange: The Intersection
12–13 November 2022Cultural Xchange: The Intersection took place on 12 and 13 November 2022 at Umaru Musa Yar'Adua Hall in Kaduna. The edition explored connections and differences across the cultures of the Sahel, bringing together fashion, art and ideas from across the region. Through exhibitions, runway presentations, conversations and interactive work, KAFART created an immersive weekend of cultural exchange. The works considered shared heritage alongside questions affecting the region, inviting audiences to learn more about themselves and one another through contemporary practice. The edition was made possible through the ACP-EU Culture programme, with support from the European Union, the OACPS Secretariat, Programme AWA, Kore Cultural Center and Institut Français, alongside a network of regional partners.
Africanism: Translations Through Time
18–20 June 2021Africanism: Translations Through Time took place from 18 to 20 June 2021 at Big City Events Center in Kaduna. The edition invited audiences to encounter African cultures through the work of artists and fashion designers, bringing exhibitions and runway presentations into conversation. Its programme also included panel discussions on the evolution of fashion and art amid new technologies, alongside practical workshops in painting, tie and dye, and a Buy & Sell platform for creative businesses. The three-day gathering connected makers, audiences and partners around reinterpretation, reinvention and the many ways culture is carried through contemporary practice.