Rappa

Zara T. Dibor

Many West Africans in diaspora preserve their cultural heritage through storytelling, fashion, and ritual. One such tradition is ‘Aso Ebi’: coordinated fabrics worn by all for special occasions. My series, Rappa, explores this heritage to reconcile my personal disconnect following relocation to the UK. A Rappa, also known as ‘wrapper’, ‘pagne’, or ‘iro’, is a length of fabric wrapped around the body.  It reflects the individuality and unity in West African culture through bold patterns and colours. In a stark white studio, West African models self-construct garments from ankara fabric, constructing traditional Nigerian silhouettes from before globalization. Their poses draw on West African social gestures like ‘dobale’ (a bow of respect) and cradling a child, that feel both instinctual and distant to me. The series walks the line between performance and participation, exploring how diaspora shapes and reframes cultural memory. It invites viewers to consider how identity is preserved, embodied, and reimagined.