TY Kente

Born and raised in the Kente weaving village of Adaklu Anyigbe in Ghana's Volta region, Thompson Yao Avornyotse learned how to handloom kente cloth from his grandfather. Cotton spinning and weaving from this area has been passed down through generations, many believe from the ancient empires of Egypt and Sudan.

Avornyotse founded T.Y. Kente Weaving Enterprise in 1992, and currently employs 35 weavers to create handloomed tableware, pillow covers, shawls, home textiles and accessories that tell the history, culture and values of his society. The company sells to retailers and wholesalers in the United States and Europe.

Avornyotse is creating a library/museum to teach his community the history and significance of Kente weaving in the Volta region. "It's our tradition, it helps my whole family and increases our livelihood. I believe that due to my success overseas I have an obligation to the young people of my community".

An accomplished weaver, Avornyotse represented Ghana in the 1999 African Traditional Weavers Conference in Paris and was awarded the best weaver and designer certificate from UNESCO.