Expressive individualism, an emphasis on the human figure, visual abstraction, an emphasis on sculpture, and an emphasis on action art are characteristic elements of early African art. An example of expressive individualism is the artistic creation of the Dan people. Moreover, the human figure has always been the main subject of much African art. According to Bonsu (2022), African art favors visual abstraction over naturalistic depiction. The reason is that many African works generalize stylistic norms. Considered generally naturalistically descriptive, ancient Egyptian art uses highly abstract and uniform visual canons, especially in painting, as well as various colors to represent the qualities and characteristics of the being depicted. Furthermore, many African artists prefer three-dimensional artwork to 2D work. Even many African paintings or fabrics should feel three-dimensional. Unlike the static form of traditional Western sculpture, African art depicts dynamics and readiness for movement.
Modern African culture is the culture of a decaying traditional tribal society and an emerging industrial-urban society. According to Kasfir (2020), adopting the traditional understanding of plasticity, form, and movement, the art of sculpture nowadays remains more authentic, while painting and graphics are heavily influenced by Europe. African artists studying with European masters, as a rule, adopt Western techniques, and only the theme of the canvases remains African.
Art is one of the material means of expressing national consolidation. Therefore its preservation should take place at the national and state level, in museums, galleries, and centers of folk art. Through the organized and centralized preservation of cultural heritage objects, the continuity of artistic traditions is established. Bonsu (2022) notes that national art, accessible to a wide audience, acts as a fulcrum for contemporary art, which seeks to update and rethink traditional forms of culture. The tasks of museums and national centers in modern Africa should be reduced not only to the analysis, research, preservation, and exposition of cultural heritage, but also to the formation of public opinion and respect for this heritage.
References
Bonsu, O. (2022). African art now. Octopus.
Kasfir, S. L. (2020). Contemporary African art (2nd ed.). WW Norton.