Contemporary African Art cannot be defined. It resists definition. It uses various mediums, from oils to brass casting to metal sculpture. It’s style varies from cubism to expressionism to surrealism to a purely personal style. Thus the only way contemporary artwork can be classified as African is on the basis of the artist’s nationality.
But who is considered ‘African’? The obvious answer may be an indigenous artist who lives and works in their home territory. But it may also include artists who travel between their native country and places like the UK or USA. It may also include artists who have never even placed a foot in Africa, but are inspired by their African heritage.
Many African artists were trained at European and American schools. They learned the various European styles of artistry, and combined them with their African heritage. Other artists feel that contemporary African expression can only be achieved in their native surroundings, using a national artistic tradition as inspiration. In many countries though, much of the native tradition has been obscured by European colonialism. Because the African people were viewed as primitive and inferior by the Europeans, their art was (and often still is) viewed as such. African art was classified as “tribal,” a label that maintained its status as abnormal and different.
As African countries gained independence, they were able to reclaim their heritage and shed the identities imposed on them by the Europeans. Artists like Tracey Rose and Kudzanai Chiurai use their art to comment on societal and political issues their countries face.
MAQEII by Tracey Rose
This is a photograph of Rose herself, depicting French monarch Marie Antoinette standing with chocolate cake in hand - a reference to her rumoured response of ‘let them eat cake’ upon hearing that her peasant subjects were starving; it is a metaphor for inequality and social injustice in South Africa.
The Black President by Kudzanai Chiurai
This image is part of his work “Dying To Be Men,” a series of garish mock portrait photographs of government officials in Zimbabwe, his home country.
Goncalo Mabunda blends Western modernism and traditional African systems of control to criticize the war that ravaged his home country of Mozambique
The Questioner (wall mask) by Goncalo Mabunda
This work is made of an accumulation of bullets and deconstructed weapons. By using these materials to create art, he is effectively stripping them of their killing power.
Sungi Mlengeya, a self taught artist, uses her work to emphasize and portray Black women and their stories, and fight against harmful cultural and social norms.
Molten by Sungi Mlengeya
In accordance with many of her other works, the palette is minimal; the dark female figure stands out against a white background. The position of the figure - lying down and looking back over her shoulder - portrays her as elevated, powerful and timeless.
In recent years, contemporary African art has increasingly embraced the effects of globalization. Artists’ exposure to media and other cultures have informed their art, giving them a wealth of resources from which to draw inspiration. But at the same time, these artists continue to look first and foremost at their homelands.
Sources:
Clemens, Jayna. “Impact of Colonialism on Contemporary African Art.” Scholar Works Bowling Green State University, scholarworks.bgsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1055&context=africana_studies_conf.
Contemporary African Art, www.contemporary-african-art.com/contemporary-african-art.html.
“Contemporary African Art.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, www.archives.gov/research/african-art.
“Contemporary African Art: Who to Buy Now: Christie's.” A Guide to Contemporary African Art | Christie's, Christies, 6 Oct. 2020, www.christies.com/features/The-insider-guide-to-Contemporary-African-art-8887-1.aspx.
Diarra, Lilian. “Contemporary African Artists You Should Know.” Culture Trip, The Culture Trip, 1 Sept. 2016, theculturetrip.com/africa/articles/10-contemporary-african-artists-you-should-know/.
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