Ankara Aesthetics

A modern take on Nigerian Ankara fabrics. This series was originally motivated by Black History Month and my desire to get back into illustrating for fun after finishing uni. I wanted to use it as a way to experiment with my developing style whilst also highlighting an aspect of my culture. My style of illustrating is relatively minimalistic so I look for other ways to add depth to a piece, whether that be texture overlays, composition or colour. Wanting to achieve more depth is what lead me to draw exaggerated and expressive poses. Inspired by fashion/editorial photography, I liked how playing with perspective and the positioning of a figures body could make an outfit the main focus of an image and catch one’s attention. Since my illustrations were paying homage to Nigerian Ankara print design, I wanted each patter to stand out within its respective illustration.