African Design. The art of an identity with a thousand faces

'Until lions have their writers, tales of hunting will continue to glorify the hunter'. This Nigerian proverb, perhaps better than any other, describes the story of African design, which for too long has remained in the shadows, far from the spotlight of 'design that matters'the prerogative of the global north, as has often been the case for so many other sectors.
Perhaps also affecting this 'cliché' conception is the untrusting attitude of the African creativeswho did more to extol what came from outside than to tell the immense world of stories and emotions they had at home.
The stereotypical view of African design by the rest of the world has often relegated it to a minor design, a craftsmanship of ethnic products of low average value, no more than a few souvenirs with which to enrich one's home as a testimony to a holiday spent there. African design, on the other hand, or rather African designs, since this continent is as vast as it is varied, not only has its own distinct identity, but this is certainly not reducible to the stylistic representation of "Mama Africa' we are wrongly accustomed to thinking.
The complex design concept of this country brings us back, especially today, to a modern interpretation of a millenary art form. And which can be described by the keywords of informality, understood not as simplicity but as an attitude of welcome and authenticity. Alongside this, there is also the theme of hackability, or the ability to recover, transform, combine, change the destination of objects, make something work by combining old and new, mixing, bringing together Africa and the West. In contrast to Northern European purism, here we are dealing with hybridisation, that is, the idea of combining, in a pragmatic way, different elements.
African design is reinforced by the concept of humanity and a strong sense of community. Sharing, the relationship between people, the sense of unity are strongly characterised in the works and styles of the various exponents of the design world, which cannot disregard the suggestions of a land that is man and nature together, even in its most obvious contradictions. Like every art form, African creativity reflects its complex and suffered history, its evident sociality, its almost endemic polychromy.
African design also has an important sense of concreteness and functionality, from a sense of need that has always accompanied this land, albeit one so rich in resources and talents.
If Italy can be considered at the forefront of creative thinking, design and innovation, boasting many of the world's most famous brands, and if China boasts mass production, in Africa production is driven by need. "Hacker" e "Maker" are the two concepts ingrained in the African DNA and this is paving the way for a renaissance of the continent, the scents of which will be more evident in the coming decades.
In the meantime, while African creatives continue their work and demonstrate their talent, amidst a thousand difficulties - first and foremost the fact that there is a lack of recognition of design as a profession in its own right on the part of the institutions. the greatest challenge is to succeed in making civil society realise that design can really contribute to people's well-being.
Countries such as Nigeriathe Ghanathe South Africa or the Kenyaare seeing an expanding middle class, increasingly reaching out and interested in the best examples of design and creativity produced globally, and a new generation of artists is conquering the world, from design to fashion to architecture.
Today, Africa is a continent that offers many opportunities. While African designers are redefining their style, the fashion designer from all over the world are looking to this continent for inspiration. This is a celebration of the beauty of Africa and the economic importance it is assuming.
Africa is a way of life. And it can once again infect the world with its humanity, its joy and its richness.
Even with his art.