African Paintings and Black Art

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All of African artwork can be ordered as reproductions of oil painting, acrylic painting, and watercolor painting for wall decor. You're welcome to send your own images of African arts to us to paint by hand as painting from photos, which is more artistic collection than those contemporary decor prints and posters made by machinery.
You're allowed to download the African pictures from Toperfect's website as wallpapers.

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What is African Art?

Africa art constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth. The definition may also include the black African art Diasporas, such as the art of African Americans.
Masks are important elements in the art of many peoples, along with human figures. Sculpture is most common in West Africa.
Eastern Africa painting is known as Tinga Tinga, and Makonde sculptures are also famous. There is also tradition of producing textile art.

Tingatinga, also spelled Tinga-tinga or Tinga Tinga, is a African oil painting style that developed in the second half of the 20th century in Tanzania and later spread to most East Africa. Africa paintings Tingatinga are one of the most widely represented forms of tourist-oriented art in Tanzania, Kenya and neighboring countries.

African paintings has a long and surprisingly controversial history. Up until recently, the designation "African" was usually only bestowed on the black African art, the peoples living in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since there was often a confluence of traditional African, Islamic and Mediterranean cultures, scholars have found that drawing distinct divisions between Muslim areas, ancient Egypt, the Mediterranean and indigenous black African societies makes little sense. Finally, the African arts of the people of diaspora, prevalent in Brazil, the Caribbean and the southeastern United States, have also begun to be included in the study of art African.

At the start of the twentieth century, artists like Picasso, Matisse, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Modigliani became aware of, and inspired by, south African art. These African painters saw in paintings Africa a formal perfection and sophistication unified with phenomenal expressive power. The study of and response to African art paintings, by artists and African art gallery at the beginning of the twentieth century facilitated an explosion of interest.

Many contemporary African oil painting borrow heavily from traditional predecessors. Ironically, this emphasis on abstraction is seen by Westerners as an imitation of European and American cubist and totemic artists, such as Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani and Henri Matisse, who, in the early twentieth century, were heavily influenced by traditional African paintings.

Africa painting Tingatinga is traditionally made on masonite, using several layers of bicycle paint, which makes for a brilliant and highly satured colors. Many elements of the style are related to requirements of the tourist-oriented market; for example, the African artwork paintings are usually small so they can be easily transported, and subjects are intended to appeal to the Europeans and Americans (e.g., the big five and other wild fauna). In this sense, Tingatinga art Africa can be considered a form of "airport art". The African artist themselves can describe as both naïve and caricatural, and humor and sarcasm are often explicit.

African Artist

Modern African artists:

El Anatsui
Marlene Dumas
William Kentridge
Karel Nel, Kendell Geers
Yinka Shonibare
Zerihun Yetmgeta
Odhiambo Siangla
Olu OguibeLubaina Himid
Bili Bidjocka
Henry Tayali.

Contemporary south African artists painters:

Irma Stern
Cyril Fradan
Walter Battiss

Kenyan African Painters:

Bulinya Martins - Painter -(watercolor, acrylics, oils, pen and ink)
Seth Mshindi - painter in acrylics
Sarah Martins (real name Sarah Okunyanyi Shiundu)
Elisha Ongere, painter in acrylics and oils.

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Differences and Common Points between African Paintings and African American Paintings

There are some pretty key differences between African paintings and African American paintings. Understanding them should open up things a bit for some people, while others may even argue that one is superior to the other. As these are niche categories in a larger art world, it is still fun banter for some of the creative minds behind each painting.

African Paintings

When it comes to African paintings, when looking at the small selection of African artists, they have a specific thing in common; pride for their culture. This is why African paintings seem to have a soul all their own, since it is mostly from the roots of the artists themselves.

Julie Mehretu showed this passion with her painting Black City, an abstract masterwork that looks a lot different than older abstract art. Looking like a vortex of colors, it has a very modern feel to it, even combining odd shapes and sizes. If this was a work from an African American artist, then you may have seen multiple dominant colors in the piece. This is because while Africans can go light on colors in abstract paintings, African Americans tend to go for the vivid flavors when allowed. It is a small observation that becomes more proof than stereotype when comparing multiple abstract paintings.

For unmistakable African paintings, Jacob's Ladder is an incredible work that takes on the same name of the now famous miniseries that captured hearts around the world. The 1984 painting was created by African painter Alexander Boghossian, and rather than take a stylized look with the painting, the artist decided to tell the story with symbolism rather than following a specific pattern. This can be seen with the way the two feet are seen climbing the ladder. By keeping the colors simple he also made the ladder look as weak and frail as the legs that were climbing it. It’s a very powerful painting that would have most likely been stylized more if it was done by an African American painter.

Some of the more formidable African paintings came from Prince Twins Seven Seven (Taiwo Olaniyi Oyewale-Toyeje Oyelale Osuntoki). His paintings were a great way to see what things were like from an important perspective in Africa since he was part of the Yoruba clan. ‘The Elephant Enticement’ sticks to the soul and the roots commonly found in most African paintings, but features a more modern style and pop that ilo can paintings. ‘The Palm Wine Tapper’ and ‘The Green Cat Man and the Flying Snakes’ continues this style, favoring telling the story upfront rather than letting it unfold in the mind of the person looking at the painting.

African American Paintings

So with African American paintings, what is it that sets them apart from African paintings? And with the small pool to choose from, are there really any major differences? Yes, actually.

Jacob Lawrence is a prime example of this difference with his ‘Harriet Tubman’ series. Celebrating African American history rather than African roots, the Harriet Tubman series starts with #1 and goes as far as #31. This was from the period 1939-1940, with the most prominent number in the series being ‘Harriet Tubman Series #4’. In this African painting the figures are very active, with the only differentiating factor being the colors of their clothes. The freedom of movement is very important with this painting, and it is one of the more active in the series. 'Harriet Tubman Series #7’ features the icon doing hard woodwork, but with the same faceless figures that have become famous in the series.

While the series would go on to be part of several college lessons, the takeaway from this vs. African paintings is that African American paintings are more relevant to American history. ‘Christ Crowned With Thorns’ is a very surreal painting, and has Jesus staring weakly ahead with a crown of thorns on his head. The focus is obviously the crown, but the look on his face merits multiple viewings as well. This white depiction of Jesus was famously painted by African American artist Horace Pippin. The amount of paintings directly related to a famous white figure by African artists can almost be counted on one hand. This is probably the biggest difference between African painters and African American painters to date. Horace Pippin also did a few oil paintings on American hero abolitionist John Brown, including the last moments leading up to his death by hanging titled ‘John Brown Going To His Hanging’. Since John Brown was a pivotal piece in the starting of the American Civil War, African oil painters have covered the subject far less than African American painters, and all due to cultural history differences.

A Female Perspective of African Painting

Wangechi Mutu is part of the feminist art movement, which is an important thing to mention since it is a worldwide movement. This means that Mutu’s paintings have a similar structure to African American paintings since the source material draws from worldwide movements rather than cultural. ‘Family Tree’ is a 2012 mashup of styles that brings several human body parts, mechanical pieces throughout history and rabid emotions together on one canvas. There are over 20 identifiable different shapes and colors at first glance, with plenty beyond that for the skilled eye. Without revealing who the painter is, the origin of it could be guessed as either African American or African. This is how powerful art movements can be, as it can even hide and change the identity of the painter.

Summary of African Paintings

Small sample size or not, there is an impressive number of great work from both African and African Americans. There are many differences between the two, and only a few ways that can govern their similarities. With both having a focus on strong events and roots that conjure up major emotions, the artist is a major part of whatever story that is being told on the oil painting. And regardless of if it is he past or the future, there are plenty of great stories to be told.

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1. African Art for Sale

2. Art from Africa

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