Refreshing minds through art
The theme of the exhibition Refreshing Minds refers to traditional African art which was marginalised before the 1960s.
VOORTREKKER – Art galleries offer people an escape from the mundane, offering visual escapism.
Newcastillians are invited to an exhibition of traditional African art at Carnegie Art Gallery.
The theme of the exhibition Refreshing Minds refers to traditional African art which was marginalised before the 1960s.
Read: Keeping you in touch with Carnegie Art Gallery
“With this exhibition, we are celebrating and revising the past, in order to promote and bring awareness to the broader communities and to emphasise that African traditional art still exists as part of genius,” said Curator of Carnegie Art Gallery, Phumzile Dlamini.
Ms Dlamini is of the opinion African art was previously judged politically, ethnocentrically, stereotypically and associated with primitivism and naivety.
“Traditional art in African society was used as functional art, unlike today where it is also used for decorative art. The cultural contacts due to migration among the different ethnic groups contribute to the change of creating art in terms of design, colour, style and architecture.”
Originally, the variation and construction of African beadwork are characterised by different bright colours, with geometric designs which have symbolic meaning and styles which differed from region to region, she explained.
When it comes to art, there is no culture that stands on its own without any influence of other cultures.
Hence, African beadwork has been colonised, contemporised and commercialised, with many embroidered designs derived from nature, like a flower in the Western culture, and paisley in the Eastern world, influencing interpretation.
This change played a significant and crucial role in the African belief system. It has also influenced socio-political, economic and cultural spheres.
Be sure to visit the art gallery, and get in touch with your South African heritage.
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