African Aesthetic

How can you define the African aesthetic? A continent made up of 54 countries — each with their own culture, their own traditions and their own social structures – no doubt produces stylistically varied African artists. 

The literary movement Négritude was led by the writers Aimé Césaire, Léon Damas and Léopold Sédar Senghor and played a huge part in the development of modern African art. Founded in 1937 by a group of African student artists in Paris, a city with a tolerant and diverse art scene, the movement grew globally. The movement aimed to critique colonialism and cultivate an appreciation for Black and African culture, the effects of which no doubt is imperative to the contemporary African art scene.

According to Léopold Sédar Senghor, in order for African art to progress it had to reflect the modernity of the present by responding to contemporary social issues and artistic styles, while celebrating traditional culture. By also drawing from other Modernist movements such as the Harlem Renaissance and Surrealism, the African aesthetic of visual art focuses on these principles and is today conveyed by the likes of Angu Walters who focuses on everyday life in African villages. Whilst Faie Davis seeks to use her lens to capture an appreciation for those who retain tradition.