Aissata Namoko

Textile Designer, Aïssata Namoko of Mali, first learnt her craft from her mother, an accomplished seamstress, as an eight-year-old child. As Namoko continued to fine-tune her abilities as an artist, she also received a degree in accounting at college, which led to a career at Mali’s National Center of Cooperatives. She returned full time to making the distinctive textiles—the majority of which now incorporate vivid indigo dye—in the early 1990s, and has become highly regarded in her field, both regionally and internationally.

In 2004, Namoko started the Djiguiyasa Cooperative, Aissata Namoko heads up Djiguiyaso, the Bamako-based cooperative that provides work for over 100 women in the textile industry in Mali. Using traditional bogolan tie-dyed with indigo, Djiguiyaso makes use of its artisans’ skills in crochet, weaving, spinning, cutting and sewing to produce 100-percent organic cotton cushions, beadspreads, curtains, dresses, handbags, tablecloths, throws and scarves. In 2010, the cooperative was recognised for its work by UNESCO.

Directory Details:

Name: Aissata Namako
Category: Textile Design
Country: Mali
Websites: www.djiguiyaso.com