As the pace of change in African societies has quickened over the past hundred years, interest in traditional African art as a means of understanding these cultures has increased. The historic ties between the United States and the Democratic Republic of the Congo make the art from this part of the world of special interest to American audiences. Spirits Embodied is the companion volume to a landmark exhibit that opened in the fall of 1999 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.A beautifully produced and extensively illustrated volume, Spirits Embodied offers a nuanced look at Congolese art produced from 1800 to 1940. Each section of the catalog examines the art of one ethnic group and offers context for understanding the objects both as part of a rich history and as a legacy of a constantly changing culture. Detailed essays outline the beliefs, traditions, and artistic methods of each of the thirteen peoples represented, including the Kongo, Yaka, Bembe, and Pende. In-depth descriptions include explanations not only of the methods and materials used, but also of the cultural and religious significance of each piece.This book offers a rare opportunity to understand the ways in which the arts express the social, religious, and philosophical bases of traditional Congolese societies as well as how European and American societies have influenced, appreciated, and learned from those arts.

Spirits Embodied: Art of the Congo. Selections from the Helmut F. Stern Collection

Arts & Photography

Niangi Batulukisi

Evan M. Maurer

Sculpture

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

An engaging introduction to one of the most unusual and fascinating of all African art forms. The textiles of the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of Congo are decorated not with human or animal figures, but with astonishing abstract designs: chevrons, squares, lozenges, crosses and spirals, in repeating patterns that shift and interlace. Although the Kuba people have been producing textiles for four hundred years, there is something strikingly modern about their traditional designs.
 In Kuba Textiles and Design, authors Elizabeth Bennett and Niangi Batulukisi use gorgeous color photographs and accessible text to explain the history of Kuba textiles, the laborious process required to create them and the complex symbolism of their designs. Including chapters on every major type of Kuba textile, this book is an excellent entry point for casual readers as well as collectors hoping to learn more about the pieces they treasure.

Kuba Textiles and Design

Elizabeth S. Bennett

Africa Direct

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Books by Niangi Batulukisi