Semi-finalist 2025
| Submitted by: | Elsie Rebecca Osei |
| Department: | Human Ecology |
| Faculty: | Agricultural, Life + Environmental Science |
Growing up in Ghana, I was deeply immersed in African textiles, where prints weren’t just fabric but expressions of our history and culture. As a textile designer trained in this environment, I’ve come to see how these vibrant patterns and colors carry stories that transcend borders. The image portrays two participants wearing contemporary African garments made from African textiles as part of a study exploring cross-cultural appreciation and the fusion of different cultural clothing. These outfits, highlight the fusion of African motifs with western fashion. The image aligns with the research’s focus on how non-Africans and Africans engage with culturally significant attire, capturing themes like aesthetics (bold colors, patterns), functionality (fit, comfort), and social reactions (curiosity, compliments). Participants’ experiences, documented via diaries and interviews, revealed increased cultural understanding alongside challenges like self-consciousness or external scrutiny. The image shows the study’s aim to bridge cultural identity through clothing, emphasizing how wearing garments with high cultural cues fosters reflection and dialogue on appropriation versus appreciation.
Was your image created using Generative AI?
No.
How was your image created?
The image was created using ethnographic photography techniques to authentically capture non-African and African participants engaging with African textiles as they walked around the University of Alberta campus. Natural daylight emphasized vibrant colors and intricate patterns, while candid shots from the Nikon D7500 camera documented spontaneous public reactions, ranging from curiosity to admiration and participants’ personal feelings (confidence, self-consciousness). The campus setting provided a real-world context to observe cross-cultural interactions, with close-ups highlighting fabric details and wearability.
This approach mirrored the study’s mixed-methods framework: the photograph captured real-time social responses and personal reflections, later analyzed alongside interviews and diaries. By situating participants in a public space, the process revealed how cultural cues in clothing mediate perceptions of identity and belonging, directly tying to the research’s exploration of appreciation versus appropriation. The integration of movement and environment enriched data on how traditional textiles foster or challenge cross-cultural understanding in everyday life.
Where is the image located?
During Sunrise. On the two benches in front of the South Academic Building, close to the University Commons, University of Alberta- North Campus.