Over the course of my summer in Ghana, I came across a lot of amazing art. Street sellers around the country are always selling “authentic” African paintings for obrunis (foreigners) to bring back to their home and show off the glorious majesty of “African Art.” However, seeing the same images of drummers, villages, and market women really got me to thinking about what makes African art African.
Gideon took me to this amazing art gallery called the Arists Alliance Gallery in Labadi (an area within Accra) where the work of artists like the great Ablade Glover, the founder, are featured. The gallery is wonderful, far better than any museum in Accra and features both old and new arts from a variety of mediums. It defies the stereotypical images of African art and presents a realistic portrayal of how African art is an ever changing field.
Ablade Glover painter and founder of the Artists Alliance Gallery.
This gallery really made me think about what it means to be an African artist and how Ghanaians creativity is often stifled by their nationality/continentality (note: not a word, but it should be).
Market by Ablade Glover
I believe if you make art and you are an African, then your art is African art. However, many people believe that African art can only feature women with babies, animals, or other traditional subjects.
What do you think?
