Kotomisi
Liesbeth Accord was born in Suriname (1956) and she is the guardian of the Clark Accord Foundation. Liesbeth: “On his request, all family members wore traditional Suriname clothes on the day my brother presented his debut novel The Queen of Paramaribo. Unfortunately, my brother passed away. Since then we have organized – annually on his death day – the Clark Accord Lecture. To honor him, I had this koto (skirt and blouse) and angisa (headpiece) made for the first lecture in 2012. This means I’m a kotomisi, a woman wearing a koto!”
For me, it was very special to photograph Liesbeth in this Suriname outfit, as it was the first time I photographed a Kotomisi for my blog. I discovered new details all the time. A koto has so many different layers and fabrics, and together this forms a truly beautiful creation. It is indeed a work of art.
My Suriname Identity
“One week before the lecture, honoring for the first time his memory on his death day, I dreamed about a woman with an angisa and a very colorful koto. I looked for the same fabric and had this koto made. I wear this to show my Suriname Identity like my brother wanted me to. It is an important part of this annual event. ”
Proud
” At Clark’s request, I wore a koto for the first time at the celebratory launch of his book. I see art in these traditional clothes that are the remains of slavery. How beautiful, powerful and made with so much creativity. For me it’s art. I am proud to be a kotomisi. I dedicate this to Clark. ”
Clark Accord
Clark Accord (Paramaribo, March 6, 1961 – May 11, 2011) was a successful writer and publicist. Before he published his successful debut novel, The Queen of Paramaribo, he worked as an international makeup artist for many prestigious clients. For years he lived in Vienna. He returned to Amsterdam where he worked and lived until his death. Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, the annual Clark Accord Lecture 2017 could not take place. If you are interested: a new date will be announced on this site
Nijgh & van Ditmar ISBN: 9789038802329
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