Kaila Akome

Renewsance

Renewsance

Kaila Akome

Second-hand textiles

cotton, silk (tablecloth, curtains)

2024

“Renewsance” provides commentary on the fast fashion industry through recycling imagery of the Renaissance movement. The piece – a mix of collage and tapestry – uses found material gathered from secondhand sources, and aims to utilize fabric that otherwise likely would be shipped to perish in African landfills overseas, polluting the soil and sea.

“Renewsance” draws from imagery of the “Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli. Here the woman featured has green skin and hair reminiscent of seafoam. Meant to represent an African setting, the work explores the idea of a future wherein through mindful consumption adaptation and reuse the cycle of waste the future poses an ecological future in harmony with nature.

The renaissance movement is classified by imagery of elegance, purity, divinity, and often represented by elite or divine figures. However, “Renewsance” reflects on the lifestyle and consumption patterns of the modern day wealthy by portraying the remenants of abundance. There are two paths for the clutter that exists and continues to build: as a stream of waste that will pollute the planet, or as an opportunity for reuse and renewal.

Kaila Akome

Inspired by the idea of reducing, reusing, and recycling I created the concept of "renewsance," which combines the words renaissance and renew. My art addresses the issue of fast fashion which leaves tons of textile waste in African landfills.

My inspiration comes from the Renaissance movement and the history of Black Portraiture. The Renaissance movement celebrated abundance and wealth, but in modern culture, these values contribute to overconsumption. I critique this emphasis on abundance by creating a Renaissance painting using "trash" to encourage contemplation. The artwork is based on the "Birth of Venus" but with an African shoreline setting, symbolizing how Western waste ends up in African landfills. I draw from artists such as Kehinde Wiley and Bisa Butler, who empower Black figures in a style historically reserved for wealthy, white aristocrats during the Renaissance era. Despite being new to working with fabric (I typically use acrylic paint or block printing), I limited myself to using found fabric sourced from thrift stores and family members' donations. This challenged me to adapt to the different behaviors of various fabrics, such as stretching, fraying, tearing, or not adhering when glued. However, I found that these limitations turned into opportunities, as textured fabric could represent waves and patterns could mimic shades within clouds. Through its materials, renewsance challenges the notion of excess and abundance, while its subject matter centers on Black narratives within environmental justice.“renewsance” – an amalgamation of the words renaissance and renew. My art draws from the issue of fast fashion consumption that results in pounds of textile waste in African landfills.

My inspiration comes from the Renaissance movement and the history of Black Portraiture. The valorization of abundance and wealth characterizes the Renaissance movement. Meanwhile, in modern culture, these same values fuel overconsumption. I critique the appeal of abundance by encouraging contemplation by showing a popular Renaissance painting compiled from “trash.”

The image draws from the "Birth of Venus," but with a twist—the setting is an African shore, symbolizing how Western waste often washes up on African soil. I Pull from artists such as Kehinde Wiley and Bisa Butler – artists who reclaim power by portraying Black figures in a style reserved, during the Renaissance era, for wealthy, white aristocrats.

During the process, I limited myself to found fabric and created the work through tapestry and collaging. It is my first time working with fabric, my typical mediums are acrylic paint or block printing. Creating the entire piece out of found fabric (I sourced material from thrift stores and family members' donation bins) forced me to confront the materials' opportunities and challenges. I learned different fabrics reacted to being collaged differently — stretching, fraying, tearing, or refusing to adhere when glued. However, limitations shifted into adaptive solutions – textured fabric could become the ripples of waves and patterns the shades within clouds. Through its materiality renewsance challenges the idea of the value of excess and abundance, while through its subject centers Black stories within environmental justice.