When I was asked about a week ago, how the designs for the new set of Bernos shirts are going, and I responded by saying well.
We drew up concept after concept and showed them around. Most received bilateral reactions. We wanted to proceed with designs that had mass appeal from the group of people we show the concepts too.
Consequently, I told her that we had one concept with the Ethiopian Alien Face; for which she responded by showing her confusion. I showed her the Face, she insisted by saying that she didn’t see it.
The face I’m referring about is the same one seen in many old Ethiopian Scroll Paintings. It is seen in many Ethiopian paintings, including that of contemporary ones. à la Lulseged Retta; who is one of my favorite Ethiopian Painters.
If you look in the dictionary, an alien is not only a resident alien but also an extraterrestrial
a resident born in or belonging to another country who has not acquired citizenship by naturalization (distinguished from citizen)
a creature from outer space; extraterrestrial.
If you are brainy, by now you know where I’m going with this. Our target market is Ethiopian aliens (ETs.) So I wanted to design a shirt called Ethiopian Alien or Alien Ethiopia or EthioAlien or just ET!
The traditional Ethiopian scroll face is in fact both a religious and cultural image. The face was primarily painted on parchment paper. Since the paper was rare, only the elite (eg. preist, dabtara & Shemageles who could read and write) had access to it.
The dabtara (an unordained cleric) lets the skin soak in water for several days, then ties it to a hoop made of saplings which he binds onto a sturdy wooden frame. As it dries in the sun, the skin becomes taut. Using a curved knife, he scrapes off the remnants of flesh, having re-moistened the inner side of the skin and roughened it with a vesicular lava stone. The skin is once again washed and dried, and the dabtara then scrapes the hairy side with a sort of adze. He repeats the process many times, washing, pumicing, and finishing with a knife. (The marble dust is needed for making highly polished, white parchment).
Prayer scrolls written in Ge’ez were the first to feature these faces. Both religiously and culturally speaking, it was considered evil and Buddha (??? ???) not to have both eyes fully visible. Evil people can be painted in profile view with only one eye.
The faces do not have depth/perspective only because parchment surface was unscrupulous enough to show gradation. The quality and availability of the painting medium might have also played a role in this; only red and black ink was primarily used. Over time though, I have noticed that the Ethiopian scroll face appears more three dimensional, much like the mural paintings of my great great uncle my great grandmother's older brother Aleqa Mezmur Za Dawit.
This is where I arrived. I feel the concept is original enough per ideology, and the look aesthetically pleasing. Thus, this will is one of the new designed to printed the Gold American Apparel T-Shirt. Coming to the monitor near you hopefully by the end of november!
I'll continue to edit this post, as I get more information on the subject. If you have knowledge on the subject, you input is much appreciated.
Published by October 6th, 2006 in Bernos, Design and History.Send this post to a friend
ET phone home!
H aha ha aha ha ah ahah… woy gud, you know that would make an excellent marketing campaign for a phone card directed towards ethiopians…
nice!!
guys, helpout your countrymen, donate for the NGO here
http://www.addishiwot.org
Nolawi,
Big Upz on your T-shirt…great concept…any chance of it comin’ out to Toronto???? any chance of it coming out in ladies’ T-shirts?
Ok. Maybe I’m wierd, but I like the top strech of pictures you had, from the alien head to the ET head … like “The Eveolution of the ET Alien”.
That, with a spunky punchline ….
BTW, the fourth head (from left) looks totally like Michael Jackson
I was first attracted to this site because of the t-shirts. When my sister told me about it I couldn’t believe it until I saw it for myself. The desings are just fabulous. Keep up the excellent work.
Tobian, you’re right the 4th one looks like Michael but after the nose fell off heeeheeee.
Thanks guys;
Temelchach, we do ship to toronto… see the faqs about shipping! we dont sell the shirts outside of the site as of now…
Ha hah aha Tobian; We got the same exact suggestion from 2 other people, and it makes sense… the design is somwhat simple… but we have to keep in mind of the general audience…..being that they might not be as sophisticated as you are
I agree.. mike it is but please do not insutl him.. I am a big mik jackson fan HUGE!
One question Nolawi,
So in the end after all your explanation, does this face have heavy Christian orientation? I am planning to give it as a present to a Muslim person. That is the reason I am asking…I am not sure I know enough about Ethiopian Culture to say and so I just wondered if you know how the general Ethiopian ‘Public’ views this face, as Christian or just cultural…
Very Interesting question? La Joonde and there is a very simple answer.
Most Ethiopian Icons have heavy Christian orgins but the line between Christian and Ethiopian has disappeared in say the last thrity years….
The symbol is now Ethiopian, but the orgins christian… much like the symbol of the Lion of Judah….
So dont reading too much into these… it just complicates things for no apparent reason….
its just cultural… sorry for the long answer.. Cuz I know some one stupid going to argue that it is not inclusive…
I have worn a tshirt with the dalai lama….. I have also worn a tshirt with hammer and sickel
doesnt mean i am against capitalism…. its just fashion!
u r good at this. i like the design…seriously.