African Art

African Art

1800's to Present Day

The first few pieces of African Art are mostly symmetrical, made from wood, and the faces don't show very much emotion. Some of the other pieces show great emotion, and are not so symmetrical. All of the pieces are not very realistic, and they for the most part all use dark, earthy tones because they are made from earthy mediums (i.e. wood).

All of the pieces, even the more recent ones, seem very primitive in their structure. Some of the pieces actually contain some brass. The Power Figure (Nkisi), uses a variety of mediums and is a very powerful piece. The expression in the face is very serious, and he has a lot going on in his torso, which shows mystery and maybe even confusion.

The more present pieces begin to have more emotion in them, and more materials used.