Art of Africa: Objects from the Warren Robbins Collection

“Art of Africa…features 80 objects that depict how art and life come together.”

– Rachael Recker, The Grand Rapids Press

“Many people are not aware of African influences on Western culture. Such an exhibit may contribute to the dialogue of civilizations.”

– Jacques Mangala, professor, Grand Valley State University

Art is central to life in traditional African societies. The many objects in Art of Africa broadly represent the creativity and diversity of artistic expression in 30 separate cultures of sub-Saharan Africa. The exhibition includes sculpture, textiles, beaded clothing and jewelry, as well as a film titled African Masks: Burkina Faso, produced by Christopher Roy.

Originally collected by European explorers and ethnologists as academic specimens or curios, African sculptures soon found their way into the hands of dealers in antiques and the exotic arts and, by the end of the 19th century, into European natural history museums. In the first years of the new century, a handful of artists in France and Germany were intrigued by the unique forms and styles of African art and began to use them for inspiration. The aesthetic significance of African art—much admired and celebrated by European artists and art enthusiasts looking for bold new models of expression—served as a catalyst for the global artistic revolution that ushered in the age of modern art.

The collection is from the Robbins Center for Cross Cultural Communication in Washington, DC. Warren Robbins, the center’s founder and director, was also founder and director emeritus of the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Share this article:
More...