Our exhibition philosophy is based on the importance of understanding African art as a form of communicative expression, as well as a historical identity of its numerous and diverse cultures. The displays not only allows personal interaction with the artifacts but will also inform of their historical background and intended function. In addition, the exhibits can feature documentary clips to observe how masks come to life during ritual performance. Below are some representative examples of the tribal art displayed.
Gallery
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Gallery Highlights: Three Colonial Figures by Thomas Ona Odulate
For centuries foreign cultures have been represented within African art, but none have achieved the European demeanor quite like the works of Thomas Ona Odulate. Working from the turn of the century into the fifties, his satirical wood sculptures customarily portray European colonials in their formal attire. Made with the traditional adze and knife, Odulate's figures were recognized as a new genre of transcultural representation. "Since the earliest contact with foreign cultures, Africans have also represented 'others' in their arts, rituals, myths, and oral narratives. Some of these representations offered a satirical commentary on colonial and missionary activities, others sought to incorporate the symbolic power of the 'distant' and the 'foreign' into indigenous belief systems and religious practices, while yet others were intended as cultural expressions of protest and resistance" (Grinker and Steiner 27).
The Yoruba artist had previously worked in Ijebu Ode, until moving to Lagos in the 1940s. Characterized by large globular eyes and pointed noses, Odulate's figures were often purchased as exotic mementos of Africa. Diverging from conventional Yoruba artistry, his unusual technique was known to integrate a precise carving style with subtle irony resulting in extraordinary sculptures that became exceedingly popular among the occupying British.
Odulate's figures are acknowledged as types, rather than individuals, and show a deep understanding of methodical sculpting. According to William Bascom, Thomas Ona Odulate of Ijebu Ode told him that his works simply show the world through his eyes (1). A photograph taken in 1938 shows the artist sculpting one of his acclaimed figurines, all of which he considered to be realistic depictions of Westerners and denied the implication that they were caricatures.
Thomas Ona Odulate with his son William, Tokunbo Street, Lagos, 1938
A Set of Figurines by Thomas Ona Odulate
Early 20th Century
Lagos, Nigeria
Wood, pigment
Height 15.2 cm (6 in) to 22.8 cm (9 in)
A. Prout Collection, Worcestershire, UK
Fn. "Introduction: Africa in Perspective," in Perspectives on Africa: A Reader in Culture, History, and Representation (Editors Roy Richard Grinker & Christopher Burghard Steiner), Blackwell Publishing, 1997, p. 271. Willet F.: African Art, London, 1993, p.143
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