Question

What are some of the ways African art connects the real world with the spiritual world?

Answer 1

Traditional African cultural beliefs about the spirit world, are widely represented by traditional and modern art such as statues, sculptures and masks. Wooden masks, for example, were used to depict deities or ancestors where in many traditions, they are believed to channel spirits. While, Statues and sculptures, on the other hand, represent or connect the real world to spiritual forces. A good example is, Bambara statuettes, such as the Chiwara, which are used as spiritually charged objects during a ritual.