In the auto industry, camouflage wraps are widely used to show products in development to disguise the details before public release. For us, it was important to have something inspiring and unique to Ghana.
To further understand kente and the design process, we consulted with Eric Kwarteng, a kente expert who educated us about the craft's history and some design elements. During our conversations, we quickly realised that our knowledge had but scratched the surface of what this cloth of heritage truly is.
There was no better place to find that deep-rooted knowledge than Bonwire, Kente Weaving’s official home. It is the traditional and celebrated home of kente weaving in the Ashanti region of Ghana.
The journey to Bonwire gave us an opportunity to engage more with Eric, experience the rich heritage of kente, and successfully inspired us to arrive at the colours, patterns, and symbols of Kofa’s own kente.
Inspired by our experience and our trip to Bonwire, the traditional and celebrated home of kente weaving - this documentary captures kente’s historic origination and design process to the stories its intricate designs tell.
Inspired by our experience and our trip to Bonwire, the traditional and celebrated home of kente weaving - this documentary captures kente’s historic origination and design process to the stories its intricate designs tell.
Each of the symbols in a kente cloth also has a meaning; it could be a proverb or some advice on life, a representation of a historical event, or aphorisms. They are popularly known as Adinkra symbols. We discussed with Eric which symbols will best represent our values.
Sankofa is a Ghanaian Adinkra symbol derived from the principle that one should remember the past to make positive progress in the future. It has two symbols; a mythical bird turning its head backward to eat a precious egg and a stylized heart shape.
Oyukomaa ntoma, the first fabric kente, which was all white, was named in honour of women for their instrumental role. These women bought the scarfs in Cape Coast when they travelled for trade and frayed it into threads for the weavers.
Subsequently, the women used extracts from tree barks and plants to dye the frayed yarns birthing a new era of kente – a colourful piece of cloth with complex designs.
The colours in a piece of kente cloth are purposely chosen to tell a story, each representing the thoughts of the weaver, the state of the community, and befitting the occasion it is worn. Some common ones are red, yellow, green, and black. Kofa’s primary brand colours are black and white, which in the world of kente represents victory and happiness, something we strongly hope for in the pursuit of our vision.
The next time you pick or see a kente cloth, remember you can read it using the colours and the symbols in it.
At Kofa, we care, we are connected, we drive equality, we are radical, and we execute.
Afanfanto is an open-winged butterfly. Butterflies are used to predict the health of an ecosystem using their presence or absence. Our environmental safety, well-being, and success of our customers are always a priority hence associating this symbol with our value.
Nkyinkyim represents life's twists, and there is so much power and beauty in people working together through the highs and lows of life. We are open-minded, tech-led, community lovers, and information-driven to serve people better.
Mpuankron means participatory democracy. The symbol represents the inclusion of all voices and diverse perspectives to enact meaningful change, perfectly reflecting our values.
Apremuo symbolises lightning and thunder, which beautifully summarises our energy. Nothing is impossible; we dare to dream and take risks to achieve. We strive to be the force driving green and sustainable energy in Africa.
We get the work done in style, excellence and on time.
Our camouflage wrap is a pattern of the selected adinkra symbols and the Kofa logo, which Eric replicated into the beautiful kente cloth. Look closely at the motorcycle; how many symbols can you spot?
There is so much more that we would like to do with this as we advance. Just think of something big, certainly out of the box and multiply it by 10. Yes, that’s what we are aiming for! Until then, subscribe to our newsletter to stay connected.
