Symbols of African art - SOLD
Richard Mudariki (b 1985)
Symbols of African art - 2012
Acrylic on canvas
76 x 101,5 cm
Signed and dated bottom left
Sold - 2014
This painting is a comment on modern society’s view of ‘primitive’ African art. We see these artworks, particularly the sculptures, in museums, in photographs, in books, or on the tourist market. However, they have been separated from their original environment, preventing the viewer from understanding the significance and symbolic meaning of the artwork. It is well known that most original African art was created for use in social ceremonies. For the artist/creator, the meaning of the artwork lay in the part it would play in the ceremony. Research shows that these sculptures were seldom seen by the rest of the community; they were hidden away and were only brought out and seen by the people during special ceremonies conducted by priests. To the African person living in a traditional society these pieces are seen as symbolic, but to people of other cultures, they are symbols of contemplation.
The painting depicts an individual who is taking these African sculptures out of a cupboard and cleaning them. Will they be used for a ceremony, or are they simply objects intended for observation and sale?