African art has always adhered to its own set of trends and rules.
West Africa, the westernmost region of the continent of Africa, holds a deep and rich artistic history. Art is a deeply embedded part of culture and society in West Africa and is passed down from generations as a form of self-expression, a means of retelling history, and for general functional use. Drawings, ceramics and sculptures have been found that date back hundreds of years. Long before the Western world defined art, West Africa was producing its own unique and beautiful art forms.
Regional Art
As of 2010, West Africa is a region on the continent of Africa that contains 16 countries. Historically and artistically, each region within West Africa has creatively used to their best advantage the resources available to them. A lavish amount of gold and bronze were readily available to the Ashantis of Ghana, and thus out of that region came works of art crafted from these mediums. Likewise, the Baule people, living along the Ivory Coast, became especially known for their figurines sculpted out of the wood found along the coast. The people of Bambara in West Africa were well known for their elaborate styles of headdress. In contrast, the Dogon people of West Africa became known for their creation of simple wooden masks.
Early Art
West Africa, as well as Nigeria, has become famous over time for its early production of terracotta figures, dating from the 5th century B.C. The longest surviving product of African art, terracotta sculptures were durable and did not succumb to termites, as the wood carvings of other regions did. Though certainly not as durable as metal, the terracotta figurines of the early West Africans demonstrate a singular consistency over time in African art; as of 2010, much African art strongly resembles the art of its ancestors from hundreds of years ago.
Iron Works
Historically, what outsiders often consider to be art is for people living within the West African culture a mere means of making a living. The invention of metalwork played a part in the early stages of West African art, as they created tools from iron that would advance their agricultural life significantly, using those same tools to till the soil, harvest crops and clear forest debris. These tools are equally artistic as the are practical, representing the creativity of a people limited to a certain region and whatever natural resources available to that area.
Ceramics and Pottery
From the same roots as the early terracotta sculpture came the creation of pottery and eventually ceramics, both beautiful and practical creations of the West African cultures, used primarily as cooking and storage vessels. The creation of pottery and ceramics was a craft commonly dominated by woman, and was not even considered art until the Western colonization which took place in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was at this time that African art became commercialized and widely traded.
Decorative and Religious Art
One of the few instances in which African art was used for solely decorative purposes was in the West African culture's expression of belief in magic. Art was created for the purpose of decorating shrines and in an effort to manipulate supernatural forces, as well as to bring forth divination. It was used to celebrate abundant harvest and other joyful events within tribes, and to acknowledge and praise any divine forces working on their behalf.
