Rediscovering the history of this fabric involves delving into a world of symbols. However, it also entails exploring much of Mali’s past and present, including the craftsmanship of Bambara women and men, contemporary art, and its impact on fashion.
“Bogolan fabric is literally composed of the earth, forests, rivers, and sun of Mali.” This quote from costume designer and actor Kandioura Coulibaly reminds us that there is nothing more fundamental and characteristic of African culture than textile creations. The original ones, those passed down from generation to generation.
Fabrics still worn today and laden with messages. A universe of symbols, colours, and shapes that allow us to enter a world of ancestral knowledge. West Africa is particularly rich in this culture. Here we want to talk about Bogolan (or Bògolanfini, a term that comes from the Bambara language: bogo (earth, clay), lan (result), fini (fabric). In short, a dyeing technique with earth, with clay, created and passed down by the Bambara women of Mali for centuries and also practised by the Dogon, Bobo, Senufo, Minianka, and Malinke peoples.
Originally produced in Mali, the fabric has also spread to Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. Contrary to popular belief, not many people practice this ancient technique anymore. Furthermore, over the years, the habit of exporting and selling products that are not entirely original has become widespread. Even Bogolan is not immune to the imitation industry. These fabrics were originally worn by hunters and healers who used them for camouflage and protection.
Women wore them to mark important and transitional events, for example, after circumcision, before marriage, childbirth, and finally as a shroud. Spinning, weaving, and sewing are gender-specific activities. Women hand-spin locally grown cotton, while men continue the process by weaving the thread into long, narrow strips using a manual loom. They then sew the strips together, edge to edge, to produce large fabrics that can be used as clothing for both sexes.
The women then apply the dye, created by a chemical reaction with tannin plants. Mixtures of leaves, roots, bark, and various natural substances produce the typical colours of yellow, red, and black. Spatulas or even bird feathers are used to draw the symbols. The international popularity and recognition of Bogolan—now also used for interior design—has been helped by the efforts of several artist collectives that have emerged in Mali over the years. One of the most famous is undoubtedly the Bogolan Kasobané Group. In the Bambara language, kasobané means “prison is over, we are free.” This collective was founded in the mid-1970s by a group of students with the mission of promoting the Bogolanfini technique.
The group consisted of Kandioura Coulibaly, Klètigui Dembélé, Boubacar Doumbia, Souleymane Goro, Baba Fallo Keita, and Néné Thiam. The group travelled throughout Mali, researching Bògolan traditions and practices, including the symbolic alphabet, history, customs, and colours encoded in the fabrics. This allowed them to understand and preserve traditional techniques that were at risk of being lost.
The popularity of these fabrics also extended to fashion, and in 1979, a young Malian designer, Chris Seydou (the father of African fashion), included Bogolan in his collection in Paris. It’s worth remembering that no two Bogolan are alike. At least not those made using traditional techniques. (Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0/Oberson) – (Antonella Sinopoli)
