African Art - Known For It's Uniqueness As Well As It's Unifying Expressions

Long before history was recorded in writing, our African ancestors expressed themselves with African art. With their rock paintings or sculptures, they found a medium in which to express themselves. Nigeria offered the earliest sculptures which are dated approximately 500BCE. Many Egyptian painters outdid themselves in the tombs of the Pharaohs, while the tribal kings and queens were adorned with crafted jewelery. The southern tribes depicted the abundance of life around them and transformed their habitats as such with their rich African Art.

The art is notably generalized as African Art but there are many different cultures and societies on the African continent that affords us with rich uniqueness, and an abundance of artistic themes. But, despite having a diverse art form, there are some amalgamating trends when we look at the visual culture of this continent.

It's true that African Art is seen as the most fertile in the history of humanity. When one looks at a feature of a face or how the body is drawn or sculpted, then immediately one thinks that it is African art. But this is not entirely true. The continent offers a diverse genre of art, stemming from many societies and cultures, influenced by ancestral legacies or daily experiences. Many themes shown in their African art gives one a sense of uniqueness as well as a sense of unity.

The human figure is widely used as a subject for artists. Many an artist would draw from childhood experiences by using an elder or a drummer or a water bearer as subject matter. These models could be living or dead. It is also not uncommon to craft a figure which is both human and animal or human and god-like.

Three dimensional African art is abundant and is the preferred medium when it comes to sculptures. Whether it be a house or a person, the style will force the onlooker to participate by either walking around a house to follow the patterns and colors, or turning a figurine a certain way to enjoy its beauty.

Their art is also captured in ceremonial events and in the performance art. Because of this, attention to minute detail is given, to create the illusion of a living being. Ceremonial textiles are woven or decorated in such a way that the wearer becomes the sculpture or spirit.

African Art is and always will be rich with legacy and talent.