African Art Is a Rhythmic Mix of the Real and the Unreal
For centuries now, African art and African artwork have been preserved and honored for its unique depictions of the nature. Most of these are based on human expressions and emotions. However, not everything you see in African crafts is a depiction of reality. Most of it is cognitive figment of the artist's imagination that just makes you wonder if it ever could be recreated in the same unique way. Every masterpiece of art of the African origin seems to have its own story. The deeper you research on one, the deeper you understand the purpose of creation. From the various African sculptures to the popularized African masks, from the sophisticated African paintings to the ethnic glory represented in African jewelry designs, there is much more in each piece and each is a truly priced possession.
You do not need to be an art collector or an Arts graduate to identify the godliness and sometimes even the devilish aura in most of these hand-crafted creations. It has been an ongoing trend to decorate houses and create an extraordinary interior theme for houses with the incorporation of such precious African artifacts. Take African sculptures for instance, these are the creations of true African men and women who have lived a colorful rollercoaster of the African culture, both in the past and the present. Most of the African sculptures in the 19th and 20th century was carved in wood, but there is no account for the same that was created before this period, since the perishable nature of wood did not help the precious African artwork withstand the damage. However, there have been artwork from cultures that date back to 5th century BC, that were essentially carved out of metal like bronze and brass and terracotta, to a wide extent and still remains as priceless antiques of the current times.
When you observe the caricatures on the sculptures you would find the depiction of the various facets of a human body in unimaginable forms. Versatility and dexterity, although is commonplace with African sculptures, there is something more hidden into every piece of ancient art. And the good thing about African art is that the essence of the ancient artistic styles is recreated in the modern times with not much difference to be spotted as opposed to other modern art cultures. You need to obtain these famous African artworks from genuine sources through land-based shops or the much easier-to-spot online sources.
Tanzania and Zanzibar are rich in culture and art. Below are a few examples and in the concluding paragraph where to find the art should you ever visit Tanzania.
Mokonde Carving is a must buy if you admire African carving from Tanzania. The Makonde people live in the South East of Tanzania. This remote area of Tanzania has become renowned for the carving of ebony [mpingo] or ironwood. Modern Makonde sculptures are powerful carvings, each one unique. Their subjects usually include shetani - which are spirits, demons and devils. The art is fluid and at the same time highly angled. Traditionally the most well known carvings from this area were male initiation masks and pregnant torsos reflecting the importance of women in their society. Outside the gallery at the Cultural Heritage in Arusha in Northern Tanzania stands a twelve foot high and ten foot thick Mokonde carving. This carving is from a single tree trunk and depicts intersecting figures portraying everyday life in Tanzania.
Tinga Tinga painting originating in Southern Tanzania and Mozambique and were painted from pigments found in nature; typical subjects to be painted were people and animals. Eduardo S. Tingatinga was born in Mozambique but during the late 1960s moved and settled in Tanzania. He is credited with founding this art movement, which today takes his name; Tinga Tinga [sometimes spelt Tingatinga]. Traditionally painted on square wooden sheets with vibrant enamel colors; often painted onto a black background. The Tinga Tinga style of African art is painted in a friendly and naive way.
Category: African Art