The Language of Beauty in African Art

African masks and sculptures have long been admired in the West for their beauty – but how far and in what ways was ‘beauty’ what their makers were really after? This exhibition at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth (3 April–31 July) of more than 200 objects, ranging from intricately crafted prestige objects to imposing sculptural figures of heroes, represents a concerted effort to focus on the art of sub-Saharan Africa through the varied aesthetic vocabularies of the cultures that produced it. It considers how, in many cultures, the idea of beauty and morality is closely linked – for instance, the term busoga, in the language of the Central African Lega people, applies both to what is visually pleasing and to virtuous behaviour; the show also explores how aesthetic criteria such as symmetry, balance and clarity were used by artists, patrons and critics to create and appraise artworks. Many of the objects on show have never been displayed before, while the exhibition also looks to reappraise works from the Kimbell’s collection – among them a figure of the Chokwe hero Chibinda Ilunga. The exhibition has been arranged by the Art Institute of Chicago, where it will travel next.  Find out more on the Kimbell Art Museum website.

Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary here  

Female face mask (c. late 19th–early 20th century), Baule, Côte d’Ivoire. Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Male figure, identified as Chibunda Ilunga (c. 19th century), Chokwe. Courtesy of the Kimbell Art Foundation

Helmet mask (Kponyungo) (19th–early 20th century), Senufo, Côte d’Ivoire. Courtesy the Art Institute of Chicago

Male figure (Singiti) (c. 19th–early 20th century), Hemba, D.R. Congo. Courtesy of the Kimbell Art Foundation