Which Nigerian textile technique uses resist dyeing to create patterns?

Answer Details

Tie-dye is the Nigerian textile technique that uses resist dyeing to create patterns. In this method, sections of cloth are tightly tied, bound, stitched, or folded before being immersed in dye. The tied areas resist the dye and remain undyed (or retain a previous colour), producing distinctive patterns when the bindings are removed. In Yoruba tradition, this technique is known as adire, and it is one of the most widely recognised Nigerian textile arts.

Uli is a traditional Igbo art form involving decorative drawing on the body or on walls, not a textile dyeing technique. Aso-Oke is a hand-woven cloth produced on a narrow-strip loom by the Yoruba - it is a weaving tradition, not a dyeing technique based on resisting dye. Embroidery involves stitching decorative thread onto existing fabric, which is an additive surface technique rather than a resist-dyeing process.

The key phrase in the question is "resist dyeing" - a method where parts of the fabric are physically prevented from absorbing dye. Tying the fabric is the resist mechanism that gives tie-dye its name.