What the Black Arts Movement Can Teach Today’s Artists

Writing about socially-engaged contemporary art in Africa, Kristina Bekenova talks about how contemporary artists increasingly make use of installations, combining techniques and performances and relying on metaphorical analogies in their art. British-Nigerian Artist, Yinka Shonibare’s installations use Dutch wax to make statements about empire and human relations with the environment. Ghanaian Artist, El Anatsui, repurposes milk tins, wood and aluminium plates into carvings and sculptures to critique modern consumerist tendencies. Tunisian artist, Meriem Bouderbala, explores femininity and gender in her paintings; while Kenyan, Peterson Kamwathi, investigates Africa’s cultural backgrounds in his sculptures. In the works of these artists and many others, we see again the conscious use of art as a tool to reflect upon the human experience and examine human spatial relations.

Nigeria has a storied history of visual art used for various purposes. Today’s Nigerian artists are experimenting with non-traditional techniques and mediums of art. Nkwocha Ernest, an artist recently featured on BBC News Africa, makes stunning sculptures from discarded tyres, repurposing these non-biodegradable materials that litter Nigerian streets. Hyperrealism, a relatively new art form, has become pervasive amongst young Nigerian artists, popularized by its detailed portrayal of its subjects and triggering online debates regarding its artistic merits.