International Journal of Art and Art History

Influence of Traditional Art of Africa on Contemporary Art Praxis: The Ibibio Funerary Art Example
Ime Ukim, Ph.D

Abstract
African art, with exception of Egyptian art, has suffered scholastic neglect as only a little scholarship has been done regarding them. This has resulted in the misconception that traditional African art contributes little or nothing to the development of contemporary art. This paper, in an attempt to dispel such misconception, projects an aspect of indigenous Ibibio art praxis - funerary art to reveal Ibibio art culture"s influence on contemporary art praxis. The objectives are to identify traditional Ibibio funerary art forms; highlight its transformation; and examine its influence on contemporary art praxis. It benefits from analogue and digital library sources, and information sought from interviews of knowledgeable persons in the locality. Findings reveal that traditional Ibibio funerary art forms, which include ekpu carvings, paintings and drawings on "Nwommo"and „Iso Nduongo" shrines and ekpo mask carvings, form a bedrock on which a great deal of contemporary art praxis within Ibibio land and its environs rests, as contemporary African art is an extension of traditional African art. The paper, therefore, recommends that more scholastic work be carried out on African art cultures for more revelations of their contributions to the development of contemporary art.

Full Text: PDF       DOI: 10.15640/ijaah.v8n2a5