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African Design
African design encompasses many forms of expression and refers to the forms of design from the continent of Africa and the African diaspora including urban design, architectural design, interior design, product design, art, and fashion design. Africa's many diverse countries are sources of vibrant design with African design influences visible in historical and contemporary art and culture around the world. The study of African design is still limited, particularly from the viewpoint of Africans, and the opportunity to expand its current definition by exploring African visual representations and introducing contemporary design applications remains immense. Key characteristics Like all design forms, African design is defined by its creativity, continuously evolving, neither isolated nor static. Design is a form of story-telling and it is a medium through which those stories are told. In 2009, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie spoke on "The Danger of a Single Story" which has become one of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Design
A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' expresses the process of developing a design. In some cases, the direct construction of an object without an explicit prior plan (such as in craftwork, some engineering, coding, and graphic design) may also be considered to be a design activity. The design usually has to satisfy certain goals and constraints; may take into account aesthetic, functional, economic, or socio-political considerations; and is expected to interact with a certain Environment (systems), environment. Typical examples of designs include architectural drawing, architectural and engineering drawing, engineering drawings, circuit diagrams, Pattern (sewing), sewing patterns and less tangible artefacts such as business process models. Designing People who produce designs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benin Bronzes
The Benin Bronzes are a group of several thousand metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now Edo State, Nigeria. Collectively, the objects form the best examples of Benin art and were created from the thirteenth century by artists of the Edo people. Apart from the plaques, other sculptures in brass or bronze include portrait heads, jewelry, and smaller pieces. Many of the dramatic sculptures date to the thirteenth century, and a large part of the collection dates to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is believed that two "golden ages" in Benin metal workmanship occurred during the reigns of Esigie ( 1550) and of Eresoyen (1735–1750), when their workmanship achieved its highest quality. Most of the plaques and other objects were looted by British forces during the Benin Expedition of 1897 as imperial control was being consolidated in Southern Nigeria. About two hundred pieces were taken to the British Museum in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Design Week Lagos
Titi Ogufere is a Nigerian interior designer, critical design thinker and publisher at Essential Media Group. She is the Creative Director at Essential Interiors Consultancy, a pioneer interior designing company in Nigeria. The award-winning practice was set up in 2002 and has since established an international identity with a wide variety of projects that are context-specific, innovative, experimental, critical and theoretical. In 2007, Ogufere founded the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria (IDAN), a body charged with the promotion of excellence practices in the interior design sector of Nigeria. She is also the founder of the Essential Media Group, a publishing company that publishes Essential Interior Magazine; a magazine on urban and contemporary interior design. Ogufere was elected as President-Elect of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) in 2017. She was announced as the 21st President of the International Federation of Interior Ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Design Indaba
Design Indaba is a trademark and brand founded and run by Interactive Africa in 1995 with a focus on design and under the slogan "A better world through creativity". Consisting of an online publication and a series of events and creative projects, it is most widely known for its annual festival held in South Africa, in particular the flagship three-day conference hosted in Cape Town. The Design Indaba Conference is also broadcast live to various cities, most recently including Johannesburg, Durban, Nairobi, Windhoek, Kampala and Lausanne. It has also been referred to as the "Conference on Creativity". History Design Indaba was founded with the inaugural conference in 1995, which hosted 11 speakers over two days. It has since grown to host over 30 speakers from all over the globe and has been named by many to be one of the best creative conferences in the world. In its list of top "52 Places to Go in 2014", The New York Times touted Design Indaba as "the annual visual arts spectacul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dakar Biennale
The Dakar Biennale, or Dak'Art - Biennale de l'Art Africain Contemporain, is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Dakar, Senegal. Dak'Art's focus has been on Contemporary African Art since 1996. History The Dakar Biennale was conceived in 1989 as a biennale alternating between literature and art. The first edition in 1990 was focused on literature and in 1992 on visual art. In 1993 the structure of the biennale was transformed and Dak'Art 1996 became an exhibition specifically devoted to Contemporary African Art. In 1998 the structure was consolidated and in 2000 there was considerable change: Abdoulaye Wade was elected president of Senegal a few months before the opening of the event. The new president confirmed the support of the Senegalese government for the event and since 2000, Dak'Art has taken place bi-annually. Dak'Art 2002 was characterized by new staff and new partners. Dak'Art 2004 received more international visitors and wider ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African Art In Western Collections
Some African objects had been collected by Europeans for centuries, and there had been industries producing some types, especially carvings in ivory, for European markets in some coastal regions. Between 1890 and 1918 the volume of objects greatly increased as Western colonial expansion in Africa led to the removal of many pieces of sub-Saharan African art that were subsequently brought to Europe and displayed. These objects entered the collections of natural history museums, art museums (both encyclopedic and specialist) and private collections in Europe and the United States. About 90% of Africa's cultural heritage is believed to be located in Europe, according to French art historians. Initially mostly seen as illustrating the ethnology of different African cultures, appreciation of pieces as artworks grew during the 20th century. Only towards the end of the century was "modern" African art in fine art genres accepted as significant. 19th century Before the Berlin Conferenc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moroccan Architecture
Moroccan architecture refers to the architecture characteristic of Morocco throughout its history and up to modern times. The country's diverse geography and long history, marked by successive waves of settlers through both migration and military conquest, are all reflected in its architecture. This architectural heritage ranges from ancient Roman and Berber (Amazigh) sites to 20th-century colonial and modern architecture. The most recognizably "Moroccan" architecture, however, is the traditional architecture that developed in the Islamic period (7th century and after) which dominates much of Morocco's documented history and its existing heritage. This "Islamic architecture" of Morocco was part of a wider cultural and artistic complex, often referred to as " Moorish" art, which characterized Morocco, al-Andalus (Muslim Spain and Portugal), and parts of Algeria and even Tunisia. It blended influences from Berber culture in North Africa, pre-Islamic Spain (Roman, Byzantine, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Architecture Of Africa
Like other aspects of the culture of Africa, the architecture of Africa is exceptionally diverse. Throughout the history of Africa, Africans have developed their own local architectural traditions. In some cases, broader regional styles can be identified, such as the Sudano-Sahelian architecture of West Africa. A common theme in traditional African architecture is the use of fractal scaling: small parts of the structure tend to look similar to larger parts, such as a circular village made of circular houses. African architecture in some areas has been influenced by external cultures for centuries, according to available evidence. Western architecture has influenced coastal areas since the late 15th century and is now an important source of inspiration for many larger buildings, particularly in major cities. African architecture uses a wide range of materials, including thatch, stick/wood, mud, mudbrick, rammed earth, and stone. These material preferences vary by region: North Afr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Museum Of Black Civilisations
The Museum of Black Civilisations is a national museum in Dakar, Senegal, that opened on 6 December 2018. It is directed by Hamady Bocoum, an archaeologist and researcher at Cheikh-Anta-Diop University. The museum was conceived with the goal of highlighting "Africa's contribution to the world's cultural and scientific patrimony." According to Bocoum, it is particularly important to remember that "ironworking was discovered in Africa 2500 years before Christ." The museum was on the list of "ultramodern museums" compiled by Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy in their report on the restitution of African cultural heritage ''Rapport sur la restitution du patrimoine culturel africain. Vers une nouvelle éthique relationnelle'' (en: ''The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage: Toward a New Relational Ethics'') submitted in November 2018 to the president of France. History Opened on 6 December 2018, it is the realisation of the vision of Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senegal's first P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African Art
African art describes the modern and historical paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual culture from native or indigenous Africans and the African continent. The definition may also include the art of the African diasporas, such as: African American, Caribbean or art in South American societies inspired by African traditions. Despite this diversity, there are unifying artistic themes present when considering the totality of the visual culture from the continent of Africa. Pottery, metalwork, sculpture, architecture, textile art and fibre art are important visual art forms across Africa and may be included in the study of African art. The term "African art" does not usually include the art of the North African areas along the Mediterranean coast, as such areas had long been part of different traditions. For more than a millennium, the art of such areas had formed part of Berber or Islamic art, although with many particular local characteristics. The Art of E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prehistoric Art
In the history of art, prehistoric art is all art produced in preliterate, prehistorical cultures beginning somewhere in very late geological history, and generally continuing until that culture either develops writing or other methods of record-keeping, or makes significant contact with another culture that has, and that makes some record of major historical events. At this point ancient art begins, for the older literate cultures. The end-date for what is covered by the term thus varies greatly between different parts of the world. The earliest human artifacts showing evidence of workmanship with an artistic purpose are the subject of some debate. It is clear that such workmanship existed by 40,000 years ago in the Upper Paleolithic era, although it is quite possible that it began earlier. In September 2018, scientists reported the discovery of the earliest known drawing by '' Homo sapiens'', which is estimated to be 73,000 years old, much earlier than the 43,000 years old ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akan Goldweights
Akan goldweights (locally known as mrammou) are weights made of brass used as a measuring system by the Akan people of West Africa, particularly for wei and fair-trade arrangements with one another. The status of a man increased significantly if he owned a complete set of weights. Complete small sets of weights were gifts to newly wedded men. This insured that he would be able to enter the merchant trade respectably and successfully. Beyond their practical application, the weights are miniature representations of West African culture items such as adinkra symbols, plants, animals and people. Image:akan weight-alligator.JPG, Crocodile goldweight Image:gw.geometric small.jpg, Geometric goldweight Image:gw.holding vessel 2.jpg, Figurative goldweight Dating the weights Stylistic studies of goldweights can provide relative dates into the two broad early and late periods. The Early period is thought to have been from about 1400–1720 AD, with some overlap with the Late period, 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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