Origins
Jahmal Sands
The Will To Adorn
Cynthia Sands
Years of exposure to the day-to-day cultural, social, political, and economic realities of life in Zaire, Uganda, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, and Guyana led Ms. Sands to study the signs and symbols on textiles as a visual of indigenous African people. She calls textiles the indigenous newspaper – a visual record and organic methodology that preserves traditional art forms.
Ms. Sands’ art career includes creation of new dye and color applications, as well as utilizing and experimenting with original methods and materials in Africa. She has also launched and conducted training, apprenticeship, and income generating activities in Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, and Guyana. She is committed to investigating the uses of indigenous artistic applications for social development, income generation, skills, transfer, and art education.