The Slum Studio: From fashion waste to wearable art
Multimedia artist Sel Kolfiga examines the charm, colour, chaos, and contradictions of Kantamanto.
Fibi Afloe
Accra’s Kantamanto market is widely known for being a second-hand clothing treasure trove. But it’s not without its problems. Mass consumption of clothing in the Global North has created a controversial system. Millions of tons of donated used clothing and unsold surplus from fashion retailers regularly flood developing countries with more than they can manage. Research at Kantamanto by The OR Foundation shows that 40% of this clothing is unusable fashion waste. It ends up in Accra’s already overstretched landfills, clogs nearby drains, creates serious fire and flood risks, and contributes to greenhouse-gas emissions.
In an ironic twist on the narrative, Slum Studio founder and creative, Sel Kolfiga, is using fashion to spread Kantamanto’s story. Sel carefully sources used fabric from the market as a base. He then hand-paints it with bold patterns, striking symbols, and a very specific colour palette.
“The orange reflects one of the most popular [second-hand clothing] bales called ‘Bonju’,” says Sel. “Blue represents the blue denim jeans. Black represents the people. Pink is the love, generosity, and community that the market holds together. There are also interesting objects that play an important role in the space, like umbrellas, tables, and scissors. I’ve developed different symbols to represent these. This helps to connect my audience to the space.”
Once the painting process is complete, Sel works with a master tailor to construct his garments. His most recent design is a nod of respect to the market’s Kayayei workers and their ubiquitous aprons, reinterpreted as a coat with three large pockets. Handmade wooden buttons complete each piece. Beautiful, wearable, practical. This artist’s work is certainly accessible. His message is unmistakable too.
Yehyiahyiaoo (We’ve met each other again) 202, Polyester, polished cotton, cotton yarns, stranded cotton, 140cmx102cm
“I want to encourage people to see the connectedness we have and how we can help each other as a community. Our collective response can bring very impactful social change. You can tell the manufacturers, ‘No, I’m not going to buy this, no matter how hard you try to convince me.’ Together we have the power to question and challenge all the players in the game and create a broader conversation.”
Constantly exploring, Sel is already planning other innovative fashion waste artwork.
“I’m going to start experimenting with tapestry, sculptural pieces, and installations. I want to present this subject in different ways and get as many people as possible to connect with their own spaces through my work. I want them to consider what they are wearing and what’s going to happen to it when they are done with it. I hope that, by them thinking about fashion in their own ecosystem, some of the waste we see here might reduce.” n
For more on Ghana’s second-hand clothing trade, please see deadwhitemansclothes.org and follow Sel Kolfiga’s journey on IG on @theslumstudio.
