Gunjur’s Mahawa Keita, a wife and mother of four adds her name to the growing number of pacesetters in education as he bags a Textile Design honours degree from the Birmingham City University in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Mahawa who combined work, family and studying completed her Higher National Dioma (HND) in 2019 before completing her BA (Hons) last month.
Mahawa Keita has also won Creative Spirit Award of the BCU Textile Design Class of 2021. Her winning design has beef displayed four digital display boards in Birmingham. The elated Mahawa will have her virtual graduation ceremony on 26th July with her actual and physical graduation ceremony at the university taking place in January 2022 due to the coronavirus restrictions.
Speaking to GunjurOnline, Mahawa Keita had this to say about her academic achievement and what it took to get here:
”I joined the second year of the BA (Hons) Textile Design Course in 2019 as a mature direct entry student, fell in love with all constructed textile techniques, began my journey with the support of the BCU Textile Design community around me. I was awarded a certificate of recognition for Innovation and Creativity.
It was not easy as a wife with four kids, but determination and husbands endless support got me through. I had to cut many activities to make sure my studies and family were okay.
My cultures were my main source of inspiration in every project I did, and the outcomes were always commended thank God. My dissertation looked at why West African textile designers, makers and artists are underrepresented in the global textile industry.
West Africa has contributed immensely to the global textile production, designed ideology also as inspiration source for textile designers. Was the issue political, sociocultural, demographically, motivated. Is there any hope that they will be fully represented as their counterparts?
Moving forward, my aim is to work on more contemporary gallery contents, that raise issues that affect our community and environment. Promoting positive cultural practices, sustainability and handcraft.”
Want to see more of the work of the textile designer? Check out Mahawa’s social media and web site links here:
https://www.masading.com
https://www.bcuinspired.com/bjft/portfolio/mahawa-keita
https://www.instagram.com/mansading_designs