As indigenous fabrics gain renewed visibility in contemporary fashion and visual art, artist and cultural advocate Goodluck Jane is cautioning against reducing heritage to mere aesthetics.
“Tradition is not a trend,” Jane said, reflecting on the fifth anniversary of the Heritage Canvas Fellowship, which she founded on August 4, 2021, to safeguard indigenous textile knowledge.
She noted that while traditional fabrics are increasingly prominent on runways and in galleries, the histories and meanings behind them are often overlooked. “Patterns are being used, but their meanings—the spiritual, historical, and communal narratives—are frequently ignored.”
Concerned that textile traditions risked surviving only as decorative elements, Jane established the fellowship to bridge past and present. “I didn’t want our textile heritage to survive only as decoration; I wanted it preserved as living knowledge.”
Unlike conventional art programs, the Heritage Canvas Fellowship operates as an immersive mentorship model. Participants begin with research into the historical foundations of indigenous textiles before traveling to rural weaving communities to engage directly with master artisans.
“We go beyond technique. Fellows document oral histories and study the symbolism embedded in traditional patterns,” she said.
The next phase involves returning to studios, where fellows reinterpret what they have learned through contemporary visual language and mixed media experimentation. Central to the fellowship is ethical storytelling, which requires artists to understand the origin and context of the motifs they incorporate.
“If an artist chooses a traditional motif, they must understand its background. We discuss archival responsibility, attribution, and cultural authenticity,” Jane explained. Fellows are encouraged to produce cohesive, museum-ready collections that reflect continuity rather than fleeting trends.
Documentation is another key pillar. Many master weavers possess knowledge that exists only in oral tradition. Fellows record interviews, which are archived and shared with cultural institutions, ensuring ancestral knowledge remains accessible to future artists and researchers.
The program also addresses concerns about cultural extraction. “We operate on direct partnership and fair compensation agreements with rural artisans. They’re paid, credited, and included in exhibitions where appropriate,” Jane said. The model protects intellectual and cultural rights while supporting local economies and reinforcing pride in traditional craftsmanship.
Five years on, the Heritage Canvas Fellowship has positioned itself at the intersection of preservation and innovation, demonstrating that cultural memory and contemporary practice can coexist. Jane describes herself as “a custodian of memory,” committed to ensuring Nigeria’s textile heritage remains relevant without losing its integrity.
“The fellowship has proven that preservation and progress are not opposites. When artists are rooted in history, their innovation becomes more meaningful,” she said. In an art environment shaped by rapid production cycles, her approach offers a counterpoint, insisting that heritage can evolve with modernity—respectfully and responsibly.
