ALL ABOUT US

Penelope Staenz-Soltermann

“Visits to Art Exhibitions in Europe and Africa at a very young age opened my eyes to the emotional power of art. Over the years this attraction grew into affection.
I am certain that African art will take its place and attract the attention it deserves.”

African Art

Africa is known for its diverse culture, ethnic traditions, and exotic dialects and lives up to its name and historical relevance. However, the modern age has shaped the African culture and its people into what they are today. You can also say the same for objects that African people produce. These came out as pieces of the lost art that the commercial world later recognized. This, in turn, put African Art on the world map, which further revealed their art’s sophistication and traditional values. Even though African modern art ranges from masks, contemporary African art paintings, labeled traditional sculptures, metal-work, ceramics, and portraits, there’s more to the continent’s culture, which is yet to be explored.

Furthermore, African art comprises customized adornment crafted from gold, copper, ivory, wood, animal skin, textiles, brass, beads, and intricately woven and carved objects. When it comes to the continent’s historical colonialism, people referred to their work as tribal art because of the tribal personalized style. Earlier, the exhibited pieces from this land had anonymous labels at exhibitions, but their intricacy gave an identity. Viewers often tend to forget the circumstances and society’s exposure behind figurative art or masked concepts. Understanding the circumstances and background of how the subject came into existence is a significant step to understanding African art.

What is African Art?

Wild, creative, and intricately depicting are some of the words that can describe African art. From ethnic symbols, poses, wild animals to mask portraits, beach markets, there are innumerable colors, styles, designs, and symbols, coupled with cultural relevance and pride of the African culture lifestyle.

Going back to history, in the West, people gave paintings a privileged status both as a source of critical theory and an object to admire. Meanwhile, in Africa, paintings were attributes and references of applied arts for decorative purposes on pottery, sculpture, or architecture, like on the South African Ndebele homesteads’ walls. Going into the African sub-Saharan history, you will understand the complex settlements, migrations, and virtual objects like mats, pots, stools, clothes, spiritually essential artifacts, and headrests that paved the way for such communities to find their ground into the world of art.

Understanding any art in its native demonstration is essential. Subsequently, twentieth-century African studies demonstrated African cultures under modern art, which, in turn, introduced craft-based activities like spiritual dimensions and symbolic designs. Moreover, color plays a significant role in African art. Artists use them intuitively to fuse visual symbolic connotations with cultural dynamics. As a result, several African communities utilized earth dyes and colors.

What is Modern Art?

People worldwide celebrate modern art for its forward-thinking artists and avant-garde aesthetics. Such an art incorporates several major art movements and has witnessed an eccentric range of forms and styles over the years. You’ll have to trace the remarkable evolution of modern art to understand and recognize various genres that tend to compose it.

• Impressionism: Known as modern art’s catalyst, it challenged the realistic depictions and robust rules of academic paintings. Claude Monet initiated the movement in 1872 when he innovatively blurred brushstrokes, added a vivid color palette with a focus of light.
• Fauvism: The fauvists emphasize individual perceptions and unrealistic tones in their depictions, which, in turn, gave way to recognizable abstract forms.
• Cubism: People characterize cubism by its fractured and deconstructed forms of art. Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque pioneered such a revolution. Moreover, it emphasizes subjective approaches to create.
• Abstract Expressionism: Amid the twentieth-century, an intricate bunch of artists created figurative art styles with an abstract aesthetic. Consequently, painters place an artistic emphasis on modernist characteristics such as composition, color, emotion, and the creative process.

Our Offerings

We offer elusive and dynamic work of talented artists, which depicts the raw picture of the African culture, traditions, and communities.

Our online gallery is committed to promoting African art worldwide. It allows collectors and art lovers to embrace and explore the rich traditions of Africa.

New African Art Paintings collection

For any dabbler, collector, or interior designer, African art painting is curative for its tribal relevance and colors. Our online gallery is a combination of prints and original paintings that showcase African authenticity through eccentric depiction.