Visual Art

Victor Ekpuk
Victor Ekpuk

Works of art are visual representations of artists’ worldview, identities, cultures, ideas, and personal lives. By examining and interpreting works of art we learn from the experiences of others. In-depth examinations of visual art by African artists supports students as they learn about the diverse cultures, history, and politics of the continent. The following is a curated list of resources that provide information about traditional and contemporary works of African art.

Find Inspiration!

Gallery of African Artists

A curated list of resources dedicated to showcasing contemporary African artists.

Google Arts & Culture Africa

Google Arts and Culture now has a vast collection of online museum exhibits on Africa, from the world’s leading museums. You can even do a walk through of some of the museums using Google Streetview.

Don’t know where to start?

What does it mean to create art centered around ancient African artifacts, places, and people? How do we design learning experiences that both grow students’ knowledge and motivation to know more about the continent while ensuring that they are critically self-aware of not decontextualizing, appropriating, or misrepresenting any person, place, or object? How to teach art through African Studies while instilling students’ reverence and respect for the continent? Here are some guidelines and sample lessons for teachers to approach this work with a lens of social justice. 

Lesson Plans

Videos

Inside Africa’s Thriving Art Scene

Hear curator Touria El Glaoui showcase vital new art from Africa.

“Let’s talk about how narrative about Africa is being told and who is doing the telling…”

“Art tells powerful stories. All of these artists have stories to tell you about what it means to be Africa, stories that tell you about our African identity, and stories that tell you about who we are as Africans”

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Hear Kenyan artist and film-maker Wanuri Kahiu discuss why she creates fun, fierce, and frivolous “Afrobubble gum art” and what she means by that.

 

Resources