Despite its long and profuse tradition, even today the art of Africa remains mostly misunderstood and overlooked outside of the continent. Many people find it hard to relate to African representations of social status, beauty, spirituality, and ethics, so distinct from what we are used to seeing in the Western world. Today, we’ll try to bring traditional African art a bit closer to you, by explaining some of its key elements and ideas.
Let’s start by mentioning that African art is a very broad and versatile term that’s usually used to describe art made in the sub-Saharan region. Although traditional African art and aesthetics greatly vary from one country to another, there are elements that are shared across the continent.
Abstract Human Figures
Visual abstraction is one of the most prominent characteristics of African art. Most traditional African artworks are abstract. The African proclivity towards abstraction has its roots in the need of the artist to express an idea, rather than simply portray a subject. Instead of depicting animals and humans realistically, African artists distort, reshape, and creatively interpret their…
