Traditional African Portraiture

Western culture emphasizes individual identity, Western art features representation, and the portrait stresses  the communication of personality through facial features and expression. We do not know what John Harvard looked like, yet a quite realistic sculpted image bearing his name surveys Harvard Yard. In contrast, African culture emphasizes social identity, the African aesthetic is a generalizing one, and the portrait image is individuated by name and context.

  COMMEMORATIVE MASK (OLIMI NIKEKE) REPRESENTING 

ZlBlRl ATEKPE'S FATHER. ATEKPE. 

CARVED BY JAMES JOHN. 1978. OKPELLA. NORTHERN EDO. NIGERIA. 

ZlBlRl ATEKPE'S COMPOUND. OGlRlGA VILLAGE. 1979. 

PHOTO: JEAN M. BORGATTI. 

Although this mask, above, takes the form characteristic of a mother; a female mask with the attributes of wealth and status; it is idiosyncratic in being used to commemorate a man.

(Above) African mother carrying child in traditional Khanga dress.

I have noticed from researching into African art that dull, lifeless colours are never used in the pieces, I think this may be because Africans create work to emphasize social identity and feel that these colours represent them. I was originally, for my final piece, going to use black charcoal and white chalk but seeing this work has given me the idea to add a splash of colour into my pieces, maybe by using bleach or henna paste to create a bright orangey tone; contrasting with the black and white shades I am going to be using.