Handloom artistry dates back to the 17 th century in Africa. In Ghana, the handloom is used to produce the traditional Kente textiles, which form part of the country's identity. This research focuses on Bonwire, Ghana a weaving community in the Ashanti region, that is specialised in the weaving of the Kente textile. However, modernisation and globalisation are seemingly threatening this industry, as a new trade law allowed imports of printed Kenteinspired textiles from Europe, America and Asia. This chapter focuses on the artisans involved in the handweaving process of the Ghanaian Kente textiles, by investigating the role of the handloom on the identity of the weavers. Weaving with a handloom has a long-standing tradition in Bonwire, thus, exploring the implications of modernisation and globalization on this traditional trade and subsequently on the identity of the weavers will be explored. This qualitative enquiry draws on 20 semi-structured interviews with artisans involved in the Kente weaving process, to explore the role of the handloom on their identity. Initial findings highlight that the art of using the handloom is infused into the culture of the weavers of Bonwire. The weavers have taken the handloom to represent a part of their identity, in that without the handloom, it will appear as though they have no identity.

No abstract

This research focuses on nation branding through the lens of the community identity creation process. The authors draw on a case study approach and contribute to knowledge by evaluating how the identity creation process of a community can foster the nation branding and promotion process. The case study chosen for this chapter is Bonwire, a textile weaving community in Ghana located within the Ashanti region. Seeing as Bonwire plays a key role within Ghana, as it is intertwined with the nation's identity, it is interesting to explore how the identity creation process can impact the nation identity and branding process of a nation.