Rich in culture and ecological diversity

Artworks are based on regional, local, and cultural links;

influenced by history, trade, and colonialism.
African art is mainly composed by local, perishable materials.
African art is based on 5 essential characteristics:

1. Visual abstraction- emphasis to create art that is abstract in

form, shape, and design. Art that embodies supernatural
symbols over naturalistic renderings
2. Performance- Art forms created with performance contexts in
mind. Personal decoration, public display, utility, and
communal purposes are all factors.
3. Humanism/Anthropomorphism- Art that focuses on
representations of the human body, spirit, society, and
traditions.

4. Multiplicity of Meaning- Art that incorporates many meanings

to different members of society based on age, level of knowledge,
and level of initiation.

5. Supernatural adaptation- Art meant for spiritual and cultural

connections. This is based on location, ethnicity, and spiritual
beliefs.

Masquerades- a gathering or performance with great religious and

cultural significance to the participants of only men.

Great Mask w/ Attendant, Dogon, Mali

The Great Mask dance is done in a ceremony
called AWA, led by spiritual leaders
It is a ceremonial dance led by the spiritual
leaders to initiate younger males of the tribe to
become masters of sigi so
Sigi so- ritual language of the spirit masters
The Great Mask is used as an alter piece when
not in dance
The mask commemorates the legend and death
of Dogon hero Lebe Serou, who was transformed
into a snake while rescuing his village.

Zamble in Performance, Guro, Buafla, Cote D

Ivoire, 1975
Performance meant to channel the spirits of
the animals.
Animal spirits thought to be mystical and
contain healing properties. The spirits of
these animals are thought to be contained in
the bush- the dense part of the forest or
jungle where spirits reside.
The dancer also performs with perishable
materials such as palm fiber skirts, fiber
ruffles, and animal hide.

Fulani Men at Gerewol, Southern Niger.

Gerewol- festival to celebrate masculine
beauty and charm.
Young men are asked to participate in a
dance or ceremony in which they are not
allowed to show signs of fatigue and
discomfort.
Men dress in colorful cloth and garments;
paint is added to the eyes, nose, and
mouth to accentuate favored features.
Men show virility and strength by big
smiles, wide eyed glances, and bright
paint.

Fulani Women at Gerewol, Southern Niger.

During Gerewol, women act as judges
selecting a champion from among the
dancers.
Women are dressed in muted garments,
distinct hairstyles, and paint or tattoo their
faces as a sign of beauty.
Unmarried women are free to bestow sexual
favors to dancers they find attractive but in
public they are to avert their eyes and
exhibit reservation in public.
Gerewol is a festival that acknowledges the
cultures sexual desire for healthy &
beautiful children.

 Hleeta- The process of marking the

skin of women with tiny cuts that
heal to produce raised marks.
Markings symbolize sexual maturity,
beauty, and status
Older women with hleeta are
instructed by the spirit named
Ngamsa to make markings.
Done in several stages beginning at
the age of 6 with a betrothal to the
1st husband.

 Every time she receives new markings,

the fianc must bestow a gift to her
family.
Consummation of marriage may not
proceed until the last mark has been
given to her body and her betrothal has
given enough gifts.
The hleeta designs on a womans body
also adorn the outside of her house, her
belongings, and textiles she wears.
The engravings and markings on a
woman embody her role in society,
marriage, and to the community.

 African architecture is extremely

diverse in their own architectural
traditions but are also heavily
influenced by the outside.
Architecture varies from region to
region in that they incorporate local
materials, beliefs, and communal
housing.
Common theme in traditional
African architecture is that the
smaller structures always tend to
look similar to the larger structures.
(ex. circular village made of circular
houses)

Nankani Compound, Sirigu, Ghana.

Compound made up of smaller circular
buildings with communal courtyards for
cooking, meetings, and other.
The compound is separated by gender
with male dwellings on the outside and
female dwellings in the interior.
Nankani people recognize roles among
genders. Women are nurturers and
child bearers associated with pottery,
cooking, and household chores. Men
are associated as protectors, providers,
and leaders.

Nankani Compound, Sirigu, Ghana.

The womens dwelling is the cooking and
pottering making part of the compound.
This part is more private and secluded.
The mens dwelling is close to the single
entrance of the compound with small
windows to shoot arrows from. The men
meet in the communal courtyard for
important diplomatic decisions.
Death rituals: removal of the body through
a man made hole in the dwelling that the
deceased slept. This way the entrance of
the compound wont be compromised.

Great Mosque, Jenne, Mali, 13th century

(rebuilt 1907)

Built in the 13th century when a

sultan converted to Muslim and
created a mosque for communal
worshipping.
The Great Mosque is the center of
the community not only holding
major events but also the meeting
place for outdoor markets and
festivals.
The mosque is made of sun baked
earth bricks coated with plaster
giving it a sculpted smooth exterior.

Great Mosque, Jenne, Mali, 13th century

(rebuilt 1907)

The exterior is decorated with palm

sticks (toron) which serves an
aesthetic as well as constructional
purpose.
Mosque created with Muslim
symbolism including a prayer wall
that faces Mecca, box like towers or
minarets toped with ostrich eggs
symbolizing fertility and cosmos, and
5 pillars symbolizing the Pillars of
Islam.
Building is squared shaped
symbolizing the Kaaba or cube
located in Mecca.