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Basic 3 · Creative Arts · Thinking and Exploring Ideas

Visual Art from Other African Countries

In this topic you will study visual artworks made in other African countries.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

  • Name visual artworks from other African countries
  • Say which country each artwork comes from
  • Describe the materials and patterns used

What you already know

  • Visual art from other Ghanaian communities (Basic 2)

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand
Visual Arts
Sub-strand
Thinking and Exploring Ideas
Indicator
B3.1.1.1.1 – Study and talk about visual artworks produced or found in other African communities

Introduction

Africa has 54 countries. Each has beautiful art. Some people paint their houses with bright patterns; others make bronze heads or bead jewellery.

1. African Visual Arts

Visual art across Africa
ArtworkCountryMaterial
Ndebele house paintingSouth Africapaint on walls
Maasai beadworkKenya and Tanzaniaglass beads
Benin bronzesNigeriabronze (metal)
Bogolan (mud cloth)Malicotton cloth and mud dye
Kuba clothDemocratic Republic of Congoraffia
Ndebele painted house, Maasai beadwork, a Benin bronze head and Bogolan mud cloth
Figure 1: Visual art from Africa Draw one African artwork and name its country.Photos: Mark Ahsmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Kengitau254, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; ArnoldReinhold, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; BluesyPete, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2. Patterns and Meanings

  • Ndebele paintings use bold lines and triangles.
  • Maasai bead colours have meanings, like red for bravery.
  • Bogolan symbols tell stories and show status.

New words

bronze
A hard, brown metal used for sculpture.
beadwork
Art made by threading beads.
geometric
Made of shapes like lines, triangles and squares.
continent
A very large land area, like Africa.

Summary

  • Each African country has its own visual art.
  • Ndebele houses, Maasai beads, Benin bronzes and Bogolan cloth are famous.
  • Patterns and colours often have meanings.

Class activity: Art Around Africa

  1. Look at the pictures of African art and the kente and adinkra samples.
  2. Find each country on a map of Africa.
  3. Compare one African artwork with a Ghanaian one.

You need: Locally made drum, Gourd shaker, Printed photographs of Ghanaian, African performances

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. Benin bronzes come from…

    • A. Nigeria
    • B. Kenya
    • C. Mali
    • D. Ghana
    Show answer
    Answer: NigeriaThe Benin Kingdom was in Nigeria.

  2. 2. Bogolan mud cloth comes from…

    • A. Mali
    • B. South Africa
    • C. Egypt
    • D. Togo
    Show answer
    Answer: MaliIt is a Malian textile.

  3. 3. Maasai people are known for beadwork.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TrueThey make beaded jewellery.

  4. 4. Ndebele art uses only round shapes.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: FalseIt uses bold geometric lines and triangles.

  5. 5. Art made of lines and triangles is ______.

    Show answer
    Answer: geometricThat is geometric.

  6. 6. Name two African artworks and their countries.

    Show answer
    Answer: E.g. Benin bronzes – Nigeria; Maasai beadwork – Kenya.Each country has art.

Homework

  1. Find Nigeria, Kenya, Mali and South Africa on a map of Africa.