Basic 5 · Creative Arts · Thinking and Exploring Ideas
Making Artworks Inspired by African Artists
In this topic you will make artworks inspired by the styles and techniques of African visual artists as a school-based project.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Study the style of a chosen African artist
- Plan an artwork inspired by that style
- Create the artwork using local materials
What you already know
- Visual artists of Ghana and Africa
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- Visual Arts & Performing Arts
- Sub-strand
- Thinking and Exploring Ideas
- Indicator
- B5.1.1.1 – Make artworks of other African visual artists living in Africa
Introduction
Artists learn from one another. Being inspired by another artist does not mean copying; it means using their ideas or techniques to create something new of your own.
1. Inspiration and Copying
Copying means making an exact reproduction of someone else's artwork and presenting it as your own. That is wrong. Inspiration means learning from an artist's style or technique and using it to create an original artwork. Always say which artist inspired you.
2. Choosing an Artist and Style
| Artist | Style | Project idea |
|---|---|---|
| El Anatsui | joining small found objects into a large hanging | join bottle tops or carton pieces with wire or string |
| Ablade Glover | thick, bright colour applied with a knife | paint a market scene with a piece of card as a knife |
| Esther Mahlangu | bold geometric patterns with black outlines | paint a pattern on a box or wall panel |
| Bruce Onobrakpeya | printmaking with textured surfaces | make a print from a card block with glued string |
| Kente weavers | strips of woven colourful patterns | weave strips of paper into a kente-style design |
3. Planning the Project
- Research the artist: look at pictures of their works.
- Write down the features of their style.
- Make three small sketches of your own ideas.
- Choose the best sketch and list your materials.
- Plan the steps and time needed.
4. Making the Artwork
Work carefully and neatly. For a bottle-top hanging, flatten the caps with a stone, punch two holes in each with a nail (with an adult's help), and join them with wire or string into a large sheet. For a knife painting, mix thick paint and apply it with the edge of a piece of card. Step back often to see the whole work.
5. Writing an Artist Statement
When you finish, write an artist statement: the title, the artist who inspired you, the materials, the steps you followed and what your work means. For example: "My work 'Unity' was inspired by El Anatsui. I joined 200 bottle tops with string to show that small things together can be great."
Safety: Flatten bottle tops with care and ask an adult to help with nails and wire.
New words
- inspiration
- An idea that encourages you to create.
- original
- New and not copied.
- technique
- A method of doing something.
- geometric
- Made of shapes such as triangles and squares.
- artist statement
- A short text explaining an artwork.
- project
- A planned piece of work done over time.
Summary
- Inspiration means learning from a style to create something new.
- Choose an artist and study their style.
- Plan with sketches before making the work.
- Write an artist statement naming your inspiration.
Class activity: Inspired Artwork
- Choose an African artist from the table.
- Plan and make an artwork in their style using local materials.
- Write an artist statement and display your work.
You need: Pencils, Crayons, Old cartons, Manila paper, Kente, Adinkra samples
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Learning from another artist's style to make something new is…
- A. inspiration
- B. copying
- C. stealing
- D. erasing
Show answer
Answer: inspirationIt creates original work.2. Esther Mahlangu's style uses…
- A. geometric patterns with black outlines
- B. bottle tops
- C. clay pots
- D. photography
Show answer
Answer: geometric patterns with black outlinesNdebele painting.3. A short text explaining an artwork is an…
- A. artist statement
- B. invoice
- C. advert
- D. timetable
Show answer
Answer: artist statementIt names the inspiration.4. You should name the artist who inspired your work.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueIt is honest.5. Copying an artwork exactly and calling it yours is acceptable.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseThat is dishonest.6. A method of doing something is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: techniquee.g. knife painting.7. State three steps in planning an art project.
Show answer
Answer: Research the artist, make sketches, list materials (or plan steps and time).Any three.8. Explain the difference between copying and inspiration.
Show answer
Answer: Copying reproduces someone's work exactly as your own; inspiration uses their ideas to make a new, original work.Originality.
Homework
- Make three sketches inspired by a Ghanaian adinkra or kente pattern.