Forward
The Maiduguri Journal of Arts and Design (MAIDJAD) has brought out yet another volume. This edition of Maidjad has retained its usual focus on the areas of art, and design. Maidjad continues to provide an avenue for the plethora of art disciplines to contribute to the academics. Not only do the published articles in this volume enrich the journal, but they also give a general insight for the reader to collect newer information from other areas of discipline. In the previous edition, it was observed that many of the authors were of the younger generation of academics who are yet to reach the pinnacle of their carriers, this edition, however, sees a more diverse group of contributors covering every sphere of the academic cadre. Art is a subject area that will continue to grow for as long as it takes because it affects all aspects of our lives, so the experience of the older ones will go a very long way in enriching the quality of the journal.
The contributors covered several disciplines, Art History and Education, Sculpture, Textiles, Graphics, Film, and Chemical Engineering. This shows how important the teaching of Art is despite the challenges it faces in schools. One very important issue contributed is the issue of the African culture which seems to be gradually fading away as the modern culture infuses itself into traditional African culture. African culture carries symbols of who its people are and how they express themselves through arts, dressing, communication, as well as through performance, and other inclusive ways of living.
Articles such as “Beyond clothing: A review of traditional African textiles” by Ogunjami Isaiah and Makinde David, explored by way of a review; the symbols and significances of traditional African forms of clothing. The article highlighted the historical development of clothing styles through an exploration of archeological evidences from cultures within African societies. The lead paper by C. Y Mtaku, centers its discourse on “understanding the sustainable development goals through selected artworks”. The paper delved into aspects of life and how art continues to initiate itself with such aspects, ideologies and philosophies. “An appraisal of unique features of Yoruba narrative films within the Nollywood culture by Joseph Bankola, looked at the unique attributes of selected Nigerian-Yoruba narrative films produced from 1992-2016. The paper deployed the library research method, the descriptive and studio methods of analysing gathered data.
Akoh et al examined “Democratization of communication”; their exposition approaches the subject of communication by rethinking participatory communication and its priorities and necessity especially as it relates to social change. Akande and Otu each respectively look at the cartooning in Nigeria from different gender points of view. While Akande analysed the cartoons of three male cartoon artists from the defunct Daily Times of Nigeria, Otu explored female cartoonist as “hidden figures of the Nigerian cartooning art form”. Both articles establish the need for further studies to be undertaken by academics and artists in terms of cartooning. Sirajo et al and Munai et al explored the chemical compositions of kaolin and ceramics in Bauchi and Gombe states of Nigeria respectively. Both articles follow the chemical compositions that go into the use and manufacture of ceramics and kaolin in specific locations.
Labode et al and Bakare et al explore further the theme of fabric design and adire symbols amongst the Yoruba speaking people of Nigeria. While Gadzama Ruth discusses the need for the application of glaze in traditional Nigerian pottery. Nigeria is a country with a very rich culture and society which all the contributing authors seem to have explored for academic and research purposes. The practice of using indigenous material from the immediate environment of the authors is considered a laudable practice which this journal encourages.
Hamsatu Saleh (PhD)
Department of Fine Arts
University of Maiduguri
May 2021
