Traditional art and the individual:An ethnographic investigation of Turkana kitchen art.

Abstract

This thesis presents findings of a study entitled 'Traditional Art and the Individual: An ethnographic investigation of Turkana kitchen art.' The study was done in Turkana North District in northwestern Kenya. The main objective ofthe study was to explore the role of the individual in traditional kitchen art in Turkana. There were three specific objectives; to investigate the extent to which traditional Turkana ki tchen art is an individual activity, to examine if there are any deviations in the standard style of Turkana kitchen art and to establish the extrinsic values in traditional Turkana kitchen art by the degree of ingenuity and innovation. The study was carried out among female artists. This was done during the month of April 2008. The study was qualitative and descriptive. Interviews and observation were the methods used for data collection. Non- probability techniques of purposive and snowball sampling were used. Information from questionnaires was subjected to quantitative analysis using descriptive statistics. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for analysis. The qualitative and descriptive information from key informant interviews were incorporated into the findings. The study was guided by the theory of individualism. Although selective application of Eurocentric definitions on traditional African art has tended to deprive African art of its aesthetic principles, an individualistic approach allowed an open approach to traditional, art. The study findings indicated that the artists tended to enjoy the freedom to deviate from standard style and create beautiful items driven not by tradition, standards or community but by their own personal idiosyncrasies. The study recommends that the findings be used as a tool or reference by researchers towards a more critical approach to African art and encourages independent thought on the role of the individual in traditional African art.