A piece of interesting art is a sure way to make a statement with your home decor. It shows that you appreciate beautiful things and it becomes a talking point for anybody visiting you. Nowadays, a popular type of art to brighten up a home is African sculptures.
The art of sculpture in Africa goes back thousands of years. The pieces vary as greatly as the continent's many cultures. You will find realistic depictions of animals such as elephants or giraffes but you will also find abstract pieces with a spiritual meaning. Often human figures are portrayed with elongated lines and shapes and this style influenced some of the greatest artists in modern history, including Pablo Picasso.
The most popular medium for Africa's sculptors is wood, which is easy to find, inexpensive and soft enough to carve without having to invest in costly tools. When an artist works with wood that isn't of the best quality, he or she may paint the sculpture, using bright colors. However, many sculptors let the texture and natural colors of the wood become part of the art, only polishing it to give it a smooth, shiny finish.
Clay is another common medium to use but many African sculptors also work in more durable stone. Soapstone is particularly popular, since it is relatively soft and comes in a variety of colors, including black, cream, gray, yellow, lavender and red. Serious sculptors sometimes prefer harder types of stone such as serpentine, marble or granite.
The bones and tusks of animals provide the material for small carved pieces. In the past, many artists in Africa also used the huge tusks of elephants and these intricate carvings were extremely popular in Europe. Because of today's strict regulations about the sale of ivory, though, the medium is hardly ever used anymore. Should you decide to invest in an ivory carving, you need to check the local laws about this substance.
For many non-Africans, it is a surprise to hear that there has been a tradition of working in metal in many parts of the continent even in medieval times. Archaeologists have found metal sculptures as far afield as Benin and the Niger Delta in the north to Mapungubwe in the south. Bronze, copper, gold and silver are some of the metals used to create these pieces, which were usually cast. Today's sculptors often work in steel and instead of casting the pieces, they weld them into shape. Sokari Douglas Camp from Nigeria and Edoardo Villa from South Africa are some of the renowned artists who work in metal.
These days, recycled materials are all the rage among Africa's sculptors. In any major city from Johannesburg to Lagos you'll find artists selling quirky and colorful depictions of birds, animals, household objects and people made of wire, beads, bottle tops, soda cans, old car tires or plastic bags. Some of these artists have become well known in the international art world, including Elias Sime from Ethiopia, Pascale Marthine Tayou from Cameroon, Patrick Mulondo from Uganda and El Anatsui from Ghana.
The best place to look for sculptures from Africa depends on whether you want art simply for enjoyment or whether you want to invest in something that might become very valuable over time. The works of acclaimed artists are sold in galleries throughout the world and at art auctions. For cheaper pieces by street artists, simply visit the markets in any of Africa's larger cities or tourist areas.
The art of sculpture in Africa goes back thousands of years. The pieces vary as greatly as the continent's many cultures. You will find realistic depictions of animals such as elephants or giraffes but you will also find abstract pieces with a spiritual meaning. Often human figures are portrayed with elongated lines and shapes and this style influenced some of the greatest artists in modern history, including Pablo Picasso.
The most popular medium for Africa's sculptors is wood, which is easy to find, inexpensive and soft enough to carve without having to invest in costly tools. When an artist works with wood that isn't of the best quality, he or she may paint the sculpture, using bright colors. However, many sculptors let the texture and natural colors of the wood become part of the art, only polishing it to give it a smooth, shiny finish.
Clay is another common medium to use but many African sculptors also work in more durable stone. Soapstone is particularly popular, since it is relatively soft and comes in a variety of colors, including black, cream, gray, yellow, lavender and red. Serious sculptors sometimes prefer harder types of stone such as serpentine, marble or granite.
The bones and tusks of animals provide the material for small carved pieces. In the past, many artists in Africa also used the huge tusks of elephants and these intricate carvings were extremely popular in Europe. Because of today's strict regulations about the sale of ivory, though, the medium is hardly ever used anymore. Should you decide to invest in an ivory carving, you need to check the local laws about this substance.
For many non-Africans, it is a surprise to hear that there has been a tradition of working in metal in many parts of the continent even in medieval times. Archaeologists have found metal sculptures as far afield as Benin and the Niger Delta in the north to Mapungubwe in the south. Bronze, copper, gold and silver are some of the metals used to create these pieces, which were usually cast. Today's sculptors often work in steel and instead of casting the pieces, they weld them into shape. Sokari Douglas Camp from Nigeria and Edoardo Villa from South Africa are some of the renowned artists who work in metal.
These days, recycled materials are all the rage among Africa's sculptors. In any major city from Johannesburg to Lagos you'll find artists selling quirky and colorful depictions of birds, animals, household objects and people made of wire, beads, bottle tops, soda cans, old car tires or plastic bags. Some of these artists have become well known in the international art world, including Elias Sime from Ethiopia, Pascale Marthine Tayou from Cameroon, Patrick Mulondo from Uganda and El Anatsui from Ghana.
The best place to look for sculptures from Africa depends on whether you want art simply for enjoyment or whether you want to invest in something that might become very valuable over time. The works of acclaimed artists are sold in galleries throughout the world and at art auctions. For cheaper pieces by street artists, simply visit the markets in any of Africa's larger cities or tourist areas.
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