Introduction to CompuTiles

Cloth and clothing play significant roles in cultures across time and space. Clothes can and have been used to signify social status, wealth, and group membership among other things. The wearing of clothing is just one stop along the journey from cloth to clothing. Silk, cotton, rayon, nylon, linen, and more are dyed, cut, and sewn to make garments as ordinary as socks to the fabulous gowns and vestments carefully draped over the bodies of the rich and famous. The stories of cloth and the production processes of cloth and clothing hold rich histories.

Today this story also involves mass shopping and production. Today's "fast fashion" industry causes environmental damage and labor exploitation. But it doesn't have to be that way. This tool uncovers the often missed computational skills embedded within these histories. By researching traditional practices, and revitalizing them with computing, we can bring back more locally owned, sustainable practices. Additionally, your students can learn important computing tools, combine them with their creative imagination, and help the next generation in making a just and sustainable future.

This CSDT Omari Computiles is a product of the African Diaspora. We trace the retentions and remixes of color and design from the Ankara fabrics of the southern regions of the African continent to the modern stylings of Sam Gilliam and Xenobia Bailey. To develop this CSDT we worked with artist and activist Adera Brown. Adera designs abstract art pieces that she then uses to create seamless patterns. Adera uses these patterns as fabric for producing one of a kind clothing items. Omari means, “ God is exalted” in Swahili. The name and creation of the Omari seamless pattern embodies the diasporic connections represented in this body of work.