African+Art

= = =__African Art (John)__= = = =There is a lot to learn about the African culture as one studies African art; by studying pieces of African art, one eventually can learn about the culture. There are lots of themes in African art, but some of the major ones include female and child, a couple, a male with weapons, and an outsider. Each of these themes explains the culture of Africa. For example, a man with weapons and animals show that men possessed and valued power. The theme with a couple was not meant to show love and intimacy, but honor and strength of relationships. Hence, through their art, we can see that Africans value honor, respectful relationships, and more power more than love and intimacy.= =Masks represented many things as well. Africans are very respectful to their ancestors, and masks were one of the ways to show their respect. They decorated masks with colorful hair, jewelry, and beads, in order to please their ancestors. Africans believed that their ancestors had the power to bring blessings into their households. Moreover, masks were, and still are being, used in ceremonies; they were used to honor the dead, the good and evil spirits, and other spiritual beings that are believed to exist. Likewise, looking at the African art and crafts enables us to learn a lot about the African culture.=

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