Adaptation of the dagi motif for painting

Thesis Overview

<p> INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY<br>1.1 Introduction<br>There are research works currently in print which deal with icons, symbols<br>and motifs from the northern part of Nigeria. However, no book about pictorial<br>symbols would be complete without some consideration of the Dagi. Dagi is a<br>motif incorporated into almost all Northern Nigeria artistic expressions such as<br>cultural and traditional embroidery, wall decorations, architectural design and<br>durbar. It has equally evolved over a period of time into different shapes, designs<br>and patterns.<br>The focus of this study is narrowed to this motif which serves as a medium<br>for personal expression for the artist but this role however, does not prevent it from<br>serving other purposes. According to the Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary of<br>current English (2000), a motif is a design or a pattern used as a decoration. While<br>Banjoko (2000), sees a motif as a unit of a design or major theme in an art work<br>especially in pattern making. Motifs can be formed from natural or artificial<br>objects, abstract, geometric, regular or irregular shapes. (Chambers 20th Century<br>Dictionary (1983), Defines a symbol as an emblem; that which by custom or<br>convention represents something else while motif is a theme, subject, an element in<br>a composition, especially a dominant element. It is often symbolic.<br>2<br>Nataf (1994), is of the view that “a symbol is not a simple convention as is<br>the case in mathematics. Symbolism is not a language, but a way of speaking; it is<br>much more than collection of signs. A true symbol always designates the being – in<br>– the world”. The Dagi motif is subject to constant concrete adaptation to the ever –<br>changing fields of its application and this has given rise to various stylization,<br>transformation but not beyond recognition.<br>Today, as people travel long but are increasingly lazy about learning other<br>people’s languages, the role of the sign can become an important means of<br>communication. Holmes (1985) stated that a symbol stands for something. It is<br>visually precise; it attempts to get at the essence of an idea and by repeated use can<br>come to equal it.<br>Frutiger, (1989).word or speech, written or spoken,<br>do not appear to play any part at all in the<br>mechanism of my thought processes.<br>The basic psychic elements of thought are certain<br>signs and more or less clear pictures, which can<br>be reproduced and combined to order.<br>Often, motifs have been an integral part of the human society and it is<br>believed that even language and the art of writing are all woven into symbolism.<br>One of the earliest forms of writing (hieroglyphs) is said to have originated from<br>various motif and symbols embedded in the day to day life of man.<br>3<br>Visual Aesthetics<br>The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (2000) defines aesthetics as a<br>“Branch of philosophy which tries to make clear laws and principles of beauty”<br>while Wagbonje (1987) sees Aesthetics as “Originating from a Greek root<br>Aesthetikos” pertaining to sense of perception” and that traditionally, aestheticians<br>have inquired into the nature of our experiences of the beauty in art and in nature<br>and into the nature of the objective of these experiences particularly works of art.<br>Wong (1993) states that “most representational forms capture the basic<br>characteristics of shapes, and avoid subjects with unusual, less familiar details”.<br>From this definition, aesthetic structure exist inside the viewer, but only because<br>the potential for visual form already exists outside him, in other word “visual<br>form” is used as an objective term and “aesthetic structure” is used as a subjective<br>term.<br>Cheatham (1987) made it clear that every idea can be expressed through<br>numerous methods and media – the components of process. Each idea can be<br>executed in any number of visual combinations of these process elements. When<br>considered in this way, it becomes apparent that the visual possibilities for a single<br>idea and the exploration of such possibilities are limitless; and that ultimately these<br>explorations and consideration can only be accomplished visually.<br>4<br>1.2 Background of the Study<br>There are many languages in northern Nigeria but the common language is<br>Hausa with Islam as the dominant religion and its doctrine of non – representational<br>art; this has been an important catalyst in northern Nigeria artistic development.<br>Heathcote (1979), opines that the earliest history of the Hausa people is obscure,<br>Bayajida, a price of Baghdad, came to Borno. There he married Majira; a daughter<br>of the reigning king. When Bayajida’s life was threatened he fled, taking with him<br>his wife and his horses. Eventually he reached Daura, on the way his wife, who<br>was pregnant, was left at Biram. She gave birth to a son and when he grew up he<br>became the ruler there. Having arrived in Daura, Bayajida killed a large snake,<br>called Sarki which lived in the local well and allowed water to be drawn only on<br>Fridays. In return for his service the queen of Daura married Bayajida she bore him<br>a son, Bawo, in his turn had six sons. These became the rulers of Daura, Kano,<br>Katsina, Zazzau (Zaria), Gobir, and Rano. With Biram these formed the original<br>seven Hausa states, the Hausa Bakwai.<br>Origin of the Northern Knot Motif<br>So far, no certain spot has been marked to be the birth place of the Dagi even<br>though some speculations holds that it is from the oriental world, Jefferson (1974),<br>in quoting Heathcote, states that “The precise origin of many of the motifs used in<br>Hausa embroidery will probably never be known. Variations of some, such as the<br>5<br>Dagi (knot), can be found in various parts of Africa which are far removed<br>from one another”. However Heathcote (1979) also wrote that it is certain that<br>there were silk fabrics being woven in southern Spain and northern Africa in the<br>fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and that some of the patterns on them<br>incorporated motifs such as the eight – pointed star, the motif of two interlaced<br>ovals (known by the Hausas as Dagi), and various geometric – interlace devices.<br>All these motifs eventually turned up in Hausa embroidery or other forms of Hausa<br>decorative art.<br>The interest of the researcher lies in the artistic rather than the traditional or<br>historical aspect of the Dagi, the motif which is believed to have been inspired by<br>the star is associated with royalty that is embedded in the northern Nigerian<br>aristocratic nature or philosophy. The Dagi if seen as a whole, the experiences are<br>in complete harmony with each other and if viewed evokes a strange visual tension<br>which offers many interesting possibilities for painting. The play of light upon the<br>Motif can be interesting as certain areas reflect or refract light with fascinating<br>results.<br>1.3 Statement of the Problem<br>Many Nigerian artists research on traditional forms, patterns, symbols and<br>motifs from different or diverse ethnic groups in the country, but few have taken<br>the Northern knot as a single visual subject for artistic exploration.<br>6<br>1.4 Objectives of the Study<br>The objectives of this research are:<br>i. To explore the rich artistic qualities of the Dagi motif<br>ii. To appreciate the artistic forms peculiar to the Dagi motif.<br>iii. The study intend to manipulate the Dagi for visual expressions as well as to<br>unfold its aesthetic values and qualities.<br>iv. To serve as a resource material for further reference in artistic work.<br>1.5 Significance of the Study<br>The researcher hopes to promote socio-cultural and aesthetic awareness<br>among the diverse ethnic groups in Northern Nigeria, as well as synthesizing the<br>cultural tradition that surrounds the Dagi motif with contemporary dynamics of art.<br>The study will provide a spring board for further studies in the projection of the<br>traditional motifs in Northern Nigeria, through visual statements as in the case of<br>this research.<br>1.6 Justification<br>It is observed that not much has been documented through appropriate visual<br>representation of the Dagi motif in art. This study therefore explores the aesthetic<br>potentials of the motif. In doing this, the study will also provide a painterly<br>understanding of the motif.<br>7<br>1.7 Scope of the Study<br>This research is on one of the traditional symbolic motifs of the Hausa<br>known as Dagi as found in the Zaria Emirate Council.<br>1.8 Limitation<br>There appears to be scanty literature on the history of the Dagi Motif and<br>some of the artisans had no western education, so the researcher had difficulty in<br>communication.<br>8 <br></p>