By Nii B. Andrews.
Chinua Achebe, the renowned African author, stated emphatically, “if you do not like what others say about you, then write your own story”.
And that is an important part of the impetus for starting this contemporary African art (CAA) blog in July 2017.
African artists have never relinquished their individual agency to comment on and or document their candid observations about our societies…and there are over fifty countries on the continent.
They have consistently produced their own individual narrative through their work.
Today, our artists continue to do so through painting, sculpture, photography, installations and video art. Our objective on this blog is to showcase their work, their stories, and make CAA more accessible.
Within the rarefied confines of academia and the elitist/high brow world of art patronage, CAA has always been well known, appreciated and even strongly mediated for economic advantage.
But what about the broad masses of Africa and more especially the oft touted emergent African middle classes with our souped up SUVs; Brazilian hair weaves; poorly ventilated, energy inefficient houses; multiple university degrees and dodgy designer clothes?
Do we understand and appreciate that it is through our vibrant CAA that we can tell our own story and regain an indispensable sense of agency and empowerment?
We need to take this perspective seriously even if it is only for the tremendous psychological uplift engendered by self-reliance and self-knowledge.
It could assist us in rebuffing the perennial disappointments doled out to us by our often incompetent and predatory public servants; and also help us place in context any graphic and colorful description of our countries from abroad…..ssh!
This perspective is even more fundamentally important when it comes to educating our children – imparting to and instilling in them an accurate understanding and respect for their African heritage, including self worth and well roundedness.
Such a thorough appreciation and understanding of CAA by a significant number/critical mass of Africans, will also lead to a solid enhancement in CAA’s economic or capital value- hopefully for generations to come – just like has happened to all art genres from other parts of the world.
It is through art that we can really tell our own story.
Let us support our artists and attempt to understand their work.
Buy good CAA; it is empowering and smart.
I couldn’t agree more. Our art industry has a lot of potential – a lot of stories to be told. Unfortunately, no one will do this for us. We have tell the narratives ourselves.
Therefore, there’s a problem when some important aspects of culture are gradually loosing value – like how some children are brainwashed to find local languages to be unappealing.