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February 8, 2008 > Arts & Entertainment > African, Amercian art shatters MFAH restraints

African, Amercian art shatters MFAH restraints

By Margaret Diddams | For the Thresher

Silent cries and muffled drums hang so thick in the exhibit halls of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston that it feels as though living men stand in wait behind sooty masks.

With contributions by both African and American artists, the Five-A 12th Annual Citywide African American Art Exhibition feels out of place behind closed doors. After all, these are not just works of art, but socially-loaded artifacts from unique cultures. Here in dimly-lit hallways and sterile cases, horns, jugs, swords and headdresses — signs of wealth and status, military prowess and accomplishment — all scream of another time and place.

The first room holds perhaps the most interesting material of the entire display. Linguist staffs have carved wooden tops that depict parables in the customs of the Akan, a tribe in Ghana. Traditionally held by the diplomats and intellectual authorities, most linguist staffs were intended to inspire awe and reinforce the legitimacy of the rulers. Atop one staff sit two men at a table. A placard explains the staff’s message: “The food is for the man who owns it, not for the man who is hungry.”

Masks, pendants and gold hoop earrings that each weigh over half a pound make up the rest of the exhibit. One of the five galleries showcases a life-size model of a chief as he would sit before his people in gold and feather regalia. Throughout, large photographs and paintings of leaders and village markets provide a two-dimensional context for all of the sculptures and trinkets.

If you look beyond the wood, earthenware and beading you will discover the tumultuous history of a rich integration of cultures. Reliefs of native African animals adorn velvet European-style headdresses. Jewelry and amulets incorporate British coinage and text from the Quran. It is incredible to witness the lasting religious and linguistic impact of colonizing cultures upon the continent.

Some objects have even passed in the opposite direction, influencing the Western image of Africa. You’d recognize the jet-black female figures if you saw them — stocky bodies with enormous flat heads. These fertility dolls, or akua’ba, are used by Ashanti women to bring luck to a pregnancy. You can now buy them as mass-produced souvenirs in jewelry shops and gift stores for about $20.

The exhibit reflects America today and Europe in the 1800s, the peak of the Roman Empire, trade along the Congo River and racism in South Africa. Every mask, musket and mold whispers a line in the story of Africa. The organized arrangement of the pieces belies the chaos found in the world from which they originate.

Though the images and materials differ from one tribe to the next, the artwork paints a coherent likeness of Africa. It struggles with the gap between imperial wealth and prevailing poverty. The leaders depicted clamor for political support, hoping to legitimize their rule with approval from traditional gods and acceptance in a modern, capital-driven world. The art covets the native territory, treasures fruitful women and idolizes strong men, yet engages in battles and rituals of bloodshed and tragedy.

The exhibit is a compelling union of history and art, expression and culture that demands a second glance.

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