The new art gallery by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) assembles both the ancient and modern African works and relics in diverse forms, writes Edozie Udeze
The new art gallery built by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) in its corporate headquarters on Broad Street, Lagos, is a beauty to behold. In addition to the old relics of FESTAC’77 which belonged to all the countries that participated in the festival, CBAAC has gone ahead to collect new art works and artefacts that represent some important events and personalities in Africa and the Diaspora.
The essence of the gallery, according to the Director-General of the centre, Professor Tunde Babawale, is to continue to show the relevance of diverse Black and African peoples and cultures both on the continent and in the Diaspora. “All these,” he said, “attest to the creativity, industry and celebrated accomplishments of the peoples of African descent.”
The artefacts, for instance, speak eloquently of the greatness and potentials of Black and African peoples, both in the past and the present. They not only foretell all the glorious future awaiting the continent and its peoples if the creativity and industry exemplified in the artefacts are properly adapted, but that they can be used to meet contemporary challenges. This is why the gallery is well-preserved and maintained to give endless protection to the array of beautiful and important works that are there, that go a long way to depict the myth, the history, the tradition and the sociology of diverse peoples of Africa.
In one of the works entitled Kolanut Bowl made of wood and coming from Edo State, Nigeria, the bowl shows how much respect people accord kola nut in parts of the country. Kola nut is a highly appreciated cash crop and stimulant of great cultural value. It follows that such a valued nut should be served in commensurate ornament such as the elegant wooden bowl.
From Afikpo, Ebonyi State, came a unique traditional mask also made of wood. It shows that African masks are famous all over the world for their formal and conceptual beauties. In their awful elegance, they haunt the uninitiated and infuse fear into the society. Yet the impetus that culminated in modernism in visual art was primarily driven by inspirations derived from African masks. The Europeans actually came in contact with these relics in the early 20th century and have made away with lots and lots of them.
There is also the African indigenous architectural technology from Zimbabwe. The picture shows a communal living pattern prevalent in Africa. It is a total reflection on the living standard and pattern of the people in the olden days. In it, Africans were able to strike a balance between nature and man, a symbiosis that prolonged lifespan and protected the environment. Even then, those from the riverine areas did not have to flee from there, but devised means of making the conditions suitable for habitation. This is one of the whole essences of the works; to show that civilisation in whatever form and quantum and value was not lacking in Africa before the despoliation and outside interference began and worsened with time.
Some of the modern paintings dwell on Pan-Africanists in the persons of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Nelson Mandela, and others who have done so much to uplift the dignity of the African peoples. These works, according to Babawale, represent the total dexterity and dedication of African leaders towards the emancipation of the continent. The works were done by African artists who have proved their worth in their profession. Today, African arts have come to occupy global stage in terms of style, form, theme, beauty and aesthetics.
Even from Australia, the works of the Aborigines whose life pattern related to those of Africans, reflect their style like those of Africans. The paintings sprawling elegantly on oil on canvas show peculiar inspiration and motifs from their cultural experiences, yet there is profuse use of circular dots and lines to anchor for uniformity and surrealism.
Then you have the sakara, omele, bata and leather drums. Each represents and presents its peculiar sound and purpose. Mainly from Yorubaland, the sakara drum, for instance, forms part of an ensemble where it is used to accentuate rhythms and musical symbols. On the other hand, the omele, a smaller version of sakara, has high pitch sound that undulates as it is played
The leather drums have been upgraded and are being used in Cuba by the Cuban Diaspora Africans. The drums play significant role in the traditional festivals and merriments of Afro-Cubans, who are not only immersed in their African worship style, but have consistently maintained their African heritage and celebrations. For them, the leather drums speak to their ancestors.
There are also the Ekpe masquerade from Efik and Ibibio traditions, the Amandla, symbolising the freedom of South Africans in the throes of Apartheid, paintings from ancient cities of Egypt and so on. In all, you have a total representation of African artistic values and norms, with each work throwing you back and forth into the historical excursion of Africans from time immemorial to the present.
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The new art gallery built by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) in its corporate headquarters on Broad Street, Lagos, is a beauty to behold. In addition to the old relics of FESTAC’77 which belonged to all the countries that participated in the festival, CBAAC has gone ahead to collect new art works and artefacts that represent some important events and personalities in Africa and the Diaspora.
The essence of the gallery, according to the Director-General of the centre, Professor Tunde Babawale, is to continue to show the relevance of diverse Black and African peoples and cultures both on the continent and in the Diaspora. “All these,” he said, “attest to the creativity, industry and celebrated accomplishments of the peoples of African descent.”
The artefacts, for instance, speak eloquently of the greatness and potentials of Black and African peoples, both in the past and the present. They not only foretell all the glorious future awaiting the continent and its peoples if the creativity and industry exemplified in the artefacts are properly adapted, but that they can be used to meet contemporary challenges. This is why the gallery is well-preserved and maintained to give endless protection to the array of beautiful and important works that are there, that go a long way to depict the myth, the history, the tradition and the sociology of diverse peoples of Africa.
In one of the works entitled Kolanut Bowl made of wood and coming from Edo State, Nigeria, the bowl shows how much respect people accord kola nut in parts of the country. Kola nut is a highly appreciated cash crop and stimulant of great cultural value. It follows that such a valued nut should be served in commensurate ornament such as the elegant wooden bowl.
From Afikpo, Ebonyi State, came a unique traditional mask also made of wood. It shows that African masks are famous all over the world for their formal and conceptual beauties. In their awful elegance, they haunt the uninitiated and infuse fear into the society. Yet the impetus that culminated in modernism in visual art was primarily driven by inspirations derived from African masks. The Europeans actually came in contact with these relics in the early 20th century and have made away with lots and lots of them.
There is also the African indigenous architectural technology from Zimbabwe. The picture shows a communal living pattern prevalent in Africa. It is a total reflection on the living standard and pattern of the people in the olden days. In it, Africans were able to strike a balance between nature and man, a symbiosis that prolonged lifespan and protected the environment. Even then, those from the riverine areas did not have to flee from there, but devised means of making the conditions suitable for habitation. This is one of the whole essences of the works; to show that civilisation in whatever form and quantum and value was not lacking in Africa before the despoliation and outside interference began and worsened with time.
Some of the modern paintings dwell on Pan-Africanists in the persons of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Nelson Mandela, and others who have done so much to uplift the dignity of the African peoples. These works, according to Babawale, represent the total dexterity and dedication of African leaders towards the emancipation of the continent. The works were done by African artists who have proved their worth in their profession. Today, African arts have come to occupy global stage in terms of style, form, theme, beauty and aesthetics.
Even from Australia, the works of the Aborigines whose life pattern related to those of Africans, reflect their style like those of Africans. The paintings sprawling elegantly on oil on canvas show peculiar inspiration and motifs from their cultural experiences, yet there is profuse use of circular dots and lines to anchor for uniformity and surrealism.
Then you have the sakara, omele, bata and leather drums. Each represents and presents its peculiar sound and purpose. Mainly from Yorubaland, the sakara drum, for instance, forms part of an ensemble where it is used to accentuate rhythms and musical symbols. On the other hand, the omele, a smaller version of sakara, has high pitch sound that undulates as it is played
The leather drums have been upgraded and are being used in Cuba by the Cuban Diaspora Africans. The drums play significant role in the traditional festivals and merriments of Afro-Cubans, who are not only immersed in their African worship style, but have consistently maintained their African heritage and celebrations. For them, the leather drums speak to their ancestors.
There are also the Ekpe masquerade from Efik and Ibibio traditions, the Amandla, symbolising the freedom of South Africans in the throes of Apartheid, paintings from ancient cities of Egypt and so on. In all, you have a total representation of African artistic values and norms, with each work throwing you back and forth into the historical excursion of Africans from time immemorial to the present.
