There are numerous layers in African art and this is because of the different representations of artwork from all areas of the many regions of the continent. Every country has an original depiction of art which is expressed through sculptures,paintings and figurines.

Yet through all these differences there is common ground. Five of these similarities that most of African art share are as follows.

1) African tribal art

African tribal art is an integral part of African culture and history. In connection with art of a tribal nature which West Africa is renowned for. A large amount of tribal art is influenced by religion and is built with regards to the beliefs of that tribe.

2) Abstracted art

African artwork seems to favour visual abstractions over other art forms. Presented mostly in paintings, for a while now African artists have continued to produce a number of artwork in which paintings of the human body have been abstracted. A collaboration of bright colours conversing on a canvas yet not showing a visibly clear object or person. Andy Isong is an artist who has created a name for himself in developing paintings of a visually abstracted nature.

3) Sculptures

West African sculptures tend to be of figures with stretched bodies that have elongated limbs. The facial features of sculptures that come from this region of Africa represent more of a concept or an ideal instead of an individual or human.

4) Emphasis on performance art

A lot of African art is made to be used with or in a performance. Masks and costumes are worn together in ceremony in which a dance is performed. These dances are along with the masks or costumes are all considered to be one. For example a mask named “wisdom of an old man” will have a specific costume and mask with the same name which are used together in correlation during a ceremony.

5) Traditional techniques to make art pieces.

There is still a majority of art, in particular West African, which is still made using the same or similar techniques of past ancestors. It may seem like old practice, but you could also call it a skill passed down from generation to generation to preserve a family craft. A lot of artwork such as pottery and carvings are skills that have been passed from a father to a son.

These differences make African art completely unique and stand out even though it may not be the most celebrated of artwork in the art world.

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D. Anders is a passionate West African art lover and has a broad knowledge of African Culture. Want to discover more about African art, get some African gift ideas or add more African art pieces to your collection? Visit here => http://authenticafrika.com/

Eternal Ancestors – African Art and Modernism – Part 1 of 7

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