africa – Kymberli Grant

Artist: Harmonia Rosales

At the time I didn't know who the artist was but my first thought was....now this makes sense. It was that moment of wow! This is an art piece I would love to see up close.

“Madonna” by Elizabeth Catlett

From an early age I've always been fascinated by the Madonna and child imagery. "Madonna, in Christian art, depiction of the Virgin Mary; the term is usually restricted to those representations that are devotional rather than narrative and that show her in a nonhistorical context and emphasize later doctrinal or sentimental significance. The Madonna is accompanied most often by the infant Christ, [but she can be depicted alone.]" [1]

Mask for Sande Society

The sowei mask evokes an ideal. The deep, shiny black surface recalls the smooth skin of young initiates and the deep pools of water where Sande’s guardian spirit resides. The downcast eyes, scarification marks, demure mouth, and styled hair communicate dignity and composure. Neck rings and a high forehead add to the mask’s beauty.

Introduction to Sande Masks

The Sande Society is a fellowship of women found in West African cultures, which aims at preparing girls for adulthood. [2]

Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller – Sculptor

Created at the dawn of the Harlem Renaissance, Fuller's sculpture "Ethiopia" is widely considered the first Pan-African American work of art. Fuller studied with Raphaël Collin and was mentored by painter Henry Ossawa Tanner. Her work symbolized a new black identity that was emerging through the Renaissance and represented a pridefulness in African and black heritage and identity

Artist Loïs Mailou Jones

Loïs Mailou Jones's work was abstract and hard-edged and her impressionist techniques gave way to a richly patterned and brilliantly colored style. She produced work that echoed her pride in her African roots and American ancestry. **** In a career spanning more than 70 years, Loïs Mailou Jones overcame racial and gender prejudices to become a successful and influential painter, designer, and educator.*

Thelma Golden – Director & Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem

Thelma Golden is Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, the world’s leading institution devoted to visual art by artists of African descent. Over the years, she has worked with, hired and nurtured curators who have gone on to shape institutions all over the country.

Sylvia Williams – Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art

Sylvia Williams directed installation of five inaugural exhibitions and more than 20 other exhibitions of traditional and modern art, including sculpture, photography, textiles and utilitarian objects. Under her direction, the museum acquired 845 works of art.*

Dr. Kellie Jones – Curator & Art Historian

In 2011, Dr. Kellie Jones and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles curated an exhibition that chronicled the historic art scene in Los Angeles between 1960-1980s. The exhibition Now Dig This! was presented as part of Pacific Standard Time, a collaboration of more than sixty cultural institutions across Southern California, coming together to tell the story of the birth of the Los Angeles art scene and how it became a new force in the art world. Read more here.

3. African Art- Chi Wara Head Dress – Female

Mother Earth, life & soil. The representation of the earth is depicted as a female antelope with a baby carried on it's back. This could represent fertility and growth in the soil for a good harvest.

2. African Art- Chi Wara Head Dress from the Bambara People

I'm still learning about the Chi Wara head dresses. This topic fascinates me and I hope it interest you also. As I learn more about African Art I will share my findings with you. In this photo, you can see the attached head dressing worn by Bambara dancers.

African Art – Representing the Spirit of Chi Wara

Learning about African art can be a new and exciting adventure. This week I'm talking about the beautiful wooden antelope sculptures that really aren't sculptures at all. These wooden antelope figures are ritual objects used during harvest time by the Bambara people in Mali.