African sculpture art on show in Shandong

Art lovers can see sculptures from more than a dozen African countries at an ongoing exhibition at the Shandong Art Museum in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province.

The Spirit of Life exhibition is jointly organized by the Shandong Art Museum and the National Museum of China. It features 140 traditional and modern sculptures, such as wood, stone, and bronze carvings.

These works were made from several tribal artists from more than 10 African countries including Togo, Nigeria, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Senegal, Angola, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Gabon, and Chad.

With their imagination and creativity, African artists express their endless awe and admiration for life.

According to the content of the exhibits, the organizers designed the exhibition into a "Mother and Child" series, "Ancestor" series, "Mask and Top Decoration" series, "Architectural Components" series, and "Daily Necessities" series.

"African sculpture is an important part of world culture. With its appropriately exaggerated deformations and powerful rhythm, it has a touching beauty of primitive roughness. Its strong symbolism, tribal aesthetics, and distinct spiritual independence have influenced the works of many masters such as Matisse and Picasso, forming a strong influence in different countries and ethnic groups. There are many similarities between its rich imagination of knowing the world and historical values of dealing with the world with primitive Chinese sculpture art," said Zhang Wang, curator of the Shandong Art Museum.

"The exhibited works are selected from nearly 4,000 pieces of African sculptures collected by the National Museum of China, with a variety of themes. We hope that visitors can further understand the evolution of African culture and the development of human civilization through the exhibition, as well as adopt a more open and inclusive attitude to accepting different civilizations and promoting common development."

Babis, a student from Cameroon, brought more than 20 friends to see the exhibition. He said that he felt at home as many of the exhibits were similar to ones he had seen in his childhood and studied with his grandparents.

"This exhibition arouses my homesickness. I hope more Chinese people can experience African customs and cultures through the exhibition," he said.

The exhibition will last until Sep 15, during which a series of lectures on sculptures will be launched.

The Spirit of Life African sculpture exhibition is underway at the Shandong Art Museum. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

African artists perform on djembe drums during the opening ceremony of the exhibition at the Shandong Art Museum. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A child experiences the African-style of braiding hair at the opening ceremony of the exhibition at the Shandong Art Museum. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The African drum performance attracts many children at the opening ceremony of the exhibition at the Shandong Art Museum. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The exhibition will provide more insights into African culture. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A total of 140 traditional and modern sculptures, such as wood, stone, and bronze carvings, are exhibited. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]