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African Sculpture Exhibition in Weymouth

An African sculpture exhibition in a Weymouth school

News 1979 1 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for South West Film and Television Archive

Overview

An African sculpture exhibition in Weymouth helps school children learn about African culture and village life. Arts and Crafts has a long history in African culture with many carvings, paintings, sculptures and pottery. Traditional African art represents religion and tradition with certain themes such as the couple, a woman with her child or a huntsman portrayed with a weapon or an animal.

African Art refers to art from Sub-Saharan Africa and reflects the historical, religious and social environment of the artist. It is often labelled as Primitive Art but its influence over artists such as Picasso, Modigliani, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Matisse elevated its status to one of being celebrated for its imagination and emotional expression. African sculpture historically is made out of wood although pottery and bronzes may also be found. Wooden masks are typical and more common in West Africa with many used in ceremonies to depict human, animal or mythical forms.