Digital collage artist and graphic designer Safara Wanjagi recently unveiled Khanga by Safara, a digital art project she has been developing since June 2024, which, as she explains, “began as an exploration of our quintessential East African fabric—khanga/kanga—through the lens of my unique digital collage style.” 

Introducing the project on Instagram, she added: “I’m thrilled to show you all the designs I came up with, the fun history and proverbs I learned along the way, plus an exciting new product launching later this month!”

So far, Safara has unveiled five parts of the series: Swahili, The History of the Khanga Fabric, Malagasy, The Design of the Khanga Fabric and Kikuyu.

Khanga by Safara art series: Swahili
Art inspired by a vintage photograph of a Swahili woman (Zanzibar, 1900). Swahili proverb sourced from Center for African Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Khanga by Safara art series: The History of the Khanga Fabric
Information from the book Kanga Collection/Kanga Kwa Jumla by Chieko Orimoto.
Art inspired by several vintage photographs: a Swahili woman from Zanzibar (1900s), a Vezo girl from Madagascar (1900s), and a Tutsi royal lady from Rwanda (n.d.).

Khanga by Safara art series: Malagasy
Art inspired by a vintage photograph of a woman from Madagascar (1898). Proverb sourced from BeMissions.

Khanga by Safara art series: The Design of the Khanga Fabric
Information from the book Kanga Collection/Kanga Kwa Jumla by Chieko Orimoto.

Khanga by Safara art series: Kikuyu
Art inspired by a vintage photograph of a Kikuyu woman (1926). Proverb sourced from AfricanManners.

We can’t wait to see more as the Khanga by Safara project continues to unfold, along with the exciting new product she has hinted about launching soon. To follow the series, find @artbysafara on Instagram and explore her portfolio online here.