Is African art of any value?

   African art is not just something created to hang on a wall and be viewed from a distance. African art is utilitarian and an Integral part of daily life. It is not just art for art's sake, but rather art for the purpose of living a deeper and more meaningful life with a greater understanding of the continent.
     In Africa, art is intended to portray ideas, beliefs, status and workmanship .
     The elements of African arts are;
- Resemblance to a human figure for purpose of conveying ideas.
- Religious significance
- Youthfulness representing vitality and fertility.
- Reserved demeanor representing a person in control.
- Balance and proportion through choice of material.
         These elements represent the qualities defined in African art in an effort to relate the seen and unseen world we live in.

Benin bronze work.

     Benin bronze work is an artwork of cast bronze from the Benin kingdom in modern day southern Nigeria. The majority of Benin bronze work was made for and associated with the Oba of Benin - the supreme ruler of the Benin kingdom. The Benin artwork features heavily in court ceremonies and religious festivals like the Igue festival.

      Benin bronze work can be seen as purely an art form or as a religious and historical symbol; which it really represent to the people of the kingdom.

      The figure of a wild cat usually featured in Benin art was the sole property of the Oba - the leopard was the royal animal. The Benin kingdom is also famous for their brass staff.
      

Calabar's Ekpe

    Southern Nigerian ethnic groups of Efik and Ibibio is widely known for it's masquerade "Ekpe".
      With the brilliant red costume made of raffia, a rod in the right hand and a herb in the left. The masquerade is paraded in a face mask without mouth dancing in an energetic movement.
       The Ekpe is festival is a yearly international festival done in Calabar.
        The Ekpe is featured as a beautifully crafted figure that adorn the homes of those who appreciate the art of dance, music and culture interwoven together.

African Art is sacred

     Africans are deeply religious and just as our artworks reflects much of our culture, this is portrayed in our art, thus there's always a shroud of mystery behind every African artwork.

Let's talk African Art

  African arts typically describes art from the sub Saharan Africa region. African arts can be made of wood, ivory, animal hide, cowrie, raffia(plant fibre) and a host of other stuff.

  African arts are usually very expressive and are inclusive of African culture to give a layperson an understanding of the continent's cultural diversity.

   Did you know? At the start of the twentieth century,        
artists like Picasso , Matisse , Vincent van
Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Modigliani
became aware of, and inspired by, African
art.