The origins of African fine art prevarication long earlier recorded history. African stone fine art inwards the Sahara inwards Niger preserves 6000-year-old carvings. Along amongst sub-Saharan Africa, the western cultural arts, ancient Egyptian paintings too artifacts, too indigenous southern crafts also contributed greatly to African art. Often depicting the abundance of surrounding nature, the fine art was oftentimes abstract interpretations of animals, constitute life, or natural designs too shapes. The Nubian Kingdom of Kush inwards modern Sudan was inwards unopen too oftentimes hostile contact amongst Egypt, too produced monumental sculpture to a greater extent than oftentimes than non derivative of styles that did non Pb to the north. In West Africa, the earliest known sculptures are from the Nok civilisation which thrived betwixt 500 BC too 500 AD inwards modern Nigeria, amongst clay figures typically amongst elongated bodies too angular shapes.
More complex methods of producing fine art were developed inwards sub-Saharan Africa around the tenth century, some of the most notable advancements include the bronzework of Igbo Ukwu too the terracottas too metalworks of Ile Ife Bronze too brass castings, oftentimes ornamented amongst ivory too precious stones, became highly prestigious inwards much of West Africa, sometimes existence express to the endure of courtroom artisans too identified amongst royalty, equally amongst the Republic of Benin Bronzes.
Africa is also abode to a thriving contemporary art, fine fine art culture. This has been sadly understudied until recently, due to scholars' too fine art collectors' emphasis on traditional art. In Ghana, Ga contemporary artists choose carved a niche for themselves inwards the expanse of figurative palanquin designs too Fantasy coffin artistry.
The pioneer inwards this expanse is Ataa Oko.
Ataa Oko (c. 1919, La, Republic of Ghana - Dec 9, 2012, Accra) was a builder of figurative palanquins too fantasy coffin too over 80 years onetime he fifty-fifty became a painter of Art Brut.
He was for almost all his life a fisherman until at the historic current of eighty-three he of a abrupt took upwardly drawing. Since that appointment he has created over 2500 pictures. At first of all his drawings were of the fantasy coffins he created for his clients when he made his living equally a carpenter. Later on he allow his imagination Pb him to pull the worlds of fantastic animals too of the spirits. The artwork of Oko along amongst that of Frédéric Bruly Bouabré from Dakar are currently existence featured inwards an exhibit at the Collection de l’Art Brut inwards Lausanne, Switzerland.
Ataa Oko ikon a chicken coffin for Regula Tschum
Ataa Oko was born around 1919 inwards the coastal town of La, Ghana. He never went to school, only started endure equally fisherman at the historic current of xiii inwards his Coastal Ga community of La. As it is the inaugural of some Gas to engage inwards settler farming activities when angling flavor does non perform well, Ataa`s identify unit of measurement sent him to the cocoa plantations inwards the Ashanti Region.
After working for several years inwards the farm, Ataa returned to Accra too trained equally a carpenter from 1936 to 1939. After his apprenticeship, Ataa also worked inwards numerous temporary employments betwixt 1939 too 1970. According to Regula Tschumi, Ghana-based Swiss social anthropologist too fine art historian. Ataa started edifice figurative coffins around 1945 when few people were involved inwards that art. He opened his ain workshop inwards the metropolis of La.
In his onetime historic current Ataa relinquished his coffin making career too began to pull afterwards he met Regula Tschumi. Tschumi who is instrumental inwards bringing this hitherto unknown indigenous creative someone to the globe attending studied Ataa`s funereal sculptures too asked him to correspond (paint) all the coffins that he had produced. Over time, however, he started to correspond a lot of colorfull subjects : fantasy animals, imaginary creatures too spirits. Through his hard-work too particular raw artistic talent Ataa succeeded inwards a novel expanse where many had failed.
Figurative palanquin, drawing of Ataa Oko 2009
Ataa Oko had been inspired past times the figurative palanquins he had seen inwards Accra. These palanquins were used past times the Ga chiefs already at the get-go of the 20th century. The palanquins were built inwards the shape of the respective identify unit of measurement symbols which the Ga chiefs were using. Around 1960 Ataa Oko opened his ain coffin too palanquin workshop inwards La. The terminal years of his life, Ataa Oko was retired too hardly built coffins whatever more. But since 2005 he became a painter inwards collaboration amongst Regula Tschumi. Ataa Okos coffins too drawings were first of all exhibited inwards the grouping exhibit "Six Feet Under" at the Kunstmuseum Berne 2006 too 2010/11 he had first of all 1 homo exhibit inwards the good known Collection de l'Art brut inwards Lausanne. Ataa Oko died inwards Dec 2012.
Ataa Oko (right) too Kudjo Affutu amongst Oko's cherry cock (Rooster) coffin. Circa 2009. Courtesy Regula Tschum
Single too Group Exhibitions
2014. MUT Museum of the University Tübingen: "Diesseits-Jenseits-Abseits".
2012. MEN Musée ethnographique Neuchâtel Hors-Champs.
2011/12. Miracles of Africa, Hämeenlinna Art Museum, Hämeenlinna too Oulu Museum of Art, Oma, Finland
2011. Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, Norwich. Ghanaian 'fantasy coffin', 27th Sep 2011 - fourth Dec 2011. Griff Rhys Jones.
2010/11. Collection de l'art brut, Lausanne. One homo exhibit Ataa Oko et les Esprits.
2006 too 2007/2008. Kunstmuseum Bern too Deutsches Hygienemuseum, Dresden. Exhibition Six Feet Under: Autopsie unseres Umgangs mit Toten.
Ataa Oko coffin inwards the shape of a battleship, 1960 - Regula Tschumi, "The buried treasures of the Ga. Coffin Art inwards Ghana", p137, Benteli, 2008
Rooster Coffin
Ataa Oko
Ataa Oko amongst his boy Kofi on the beach of La inwards Dec 2002
Ataa Oko drawing inwards forepart of his solid inwards La 2005
Source:http://www.regulatschumi.ch/en/artists/ataa-oko
More complex methods of producing fine art were developed inwards sub-Saharan Africa around the tenth century, some of the most notable advancements include the bronzework of Igbo Ukwu too the terracottas too metalworks of Ile Ife Bronze too brass castings, oftentimes ornamented amongst ivory too precious stones, became highly prestigious inwards much of West Africa, sometimes existence express to the endure of courtroom artisans too identified amongst royalty, equally amongst the Republic of Benin Bronzes.
Africa is also abode to a thriving contemporary art, fine fine art culture. This has been sadly understudied until recently, due to scholars' too fine art collectors' emphasis on traditional art. In Ghana, Ga contemporary artists choose carved a niche for themselves inwards the expanse of figurative palanquin designs too Fantasy coffin artistry.
The pioneer inwards this expanse is Ataa Oko.
Ataa Oko (c. 1919, La, Republic of Ghana - Dec 9, 2012, Accra) was a builder of figurative palanquins too fantasy coffin too over 80 years onetime he fifty-fifty became a painter of Art Brut.
Ataa Oko, Indigenous contemporary creative someone too Pioneer inwards edifice of figurative palanquins too fantasy coffins inwards Ghana
Ataa Oko ikon a chicken coffin for Regula Tschum
Ataa Oko was born around 1919 inwards the coastal town of La, Ghana. He never went to school, only started endure equally fisherman at the historic current of xiii inwards his Coastal Ga community of La. As it is the inaugural of some Gas to engage inwards settler farming activities when angling flavor does non perform well, Ataa`s identify unit of measurement sent him to the cocoa plantations inwards the Ashanti Region.
After working for several years inwards the farm, Ataa returned to Accra too trained equally a carpenter from 1936 to 1939. After his apprenticeship, Ataa also worked inwards numerous temporary employments betwixt 1939 too 1970. According to Regula Tschumi, Ghana-based Swiss social anthropologist too fine art historian. Ataa started edifice figurative coffins around 1945 when few people were involved inwards that art. He opened his ain workshop inwards the metropolis of La.
In his onetime historic current Ataa relinquished his coffin making career too began to pull afterwards he met Regula Tschumi. Tschumi who is instrumental inwards bringing this hitherto unknown indigenous creative someone to the globe attending studied Ataa`s funereal sculptures too asked him to correspond (paint) all the coffins that he had produced. Over time, however, he started to correspond a lot of colorfull subjects : fantasy animals, imaginary creatures too spirits. Through his hard-work too particular raw artistic talent Ataa succeeded inwards a novel expanse where many had failed.
Figurative palanquin, drawing of Ataa Oko 2009
Ataa Oko had been inspired past times the figurative palanquins he had seen inwards Accra. These palanquins were used past times the Ga chiefs already at the get-go of the 20th century. The palanquins were built inwards the shape of the respective identify unit of measurement symbols which the Ga chiefs were using. Around 1960 Ataa Oko opened his ain coffin too palanquin workshop inwards La. The terminal years of his life, Ataa Oko was retired too hardly built coffins whatever more. But since 2005 he became a painter inwards collaboration amongst Regula Tschumi. Ataa Okos coffins too drawings were first of all exhibited inwards the grouping exhibit "Six Feet Under" at the Kunstmuseum Berne 2006 too 2010/11 he had first of all 1 homo exhibit inwards the good known Collection de l'Art brut inwards Lausanne. Ataa Oko died inwards Dec 2012.
Ataa Oko (right) too Kudjo Affutu amongst Oko's cherry cock (Rooster) coffin. Circa 2009. Courtesy Regula Tschum
Single too Group Exhibitions
2014. MUT Museum of the University Tübingen: "Diesseits-Jenseits-Abseits".
2012. MEN Musée ethnographique Neuchâtel Hors-Champs.
2011/12. Miracles of Africa, Hämeenlinna Art Museum, Hämeenlinna too Oulu Museum of Art, Oma, Finland
2011. Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, Norwich. Ghanaian 'fantasy coffin', 27th Sep 2011 - fourth Dec 2011. Griff Rhys Jones.
2010/11. Collection de l'art brut, Lausanne. One homo exhibit Ataa Oko et les Esprits.
2006 too 2007/2008. Kunstmuseum Bern too Deutsches Hygienemuseum, Dresden. Exhibition Six Feet Under: Autopsie unseres Umgangs mit Toten.
Ataa Oko coffin inwards the shape of a battleship, 1960 - Regula Tschumi, "The buried treasures of the Ga. Coffin Art inwards Ghana", p137, Benteli, 2008
Rooster Coffin
Ataa Oko
Ataa Oko amongst his boy Kofi on the beach of La inwards Dec 2002
Ataa Oko drawing inwards forepart of his solid inwards La 2005
Source:http://www.regulatschumi.ch/en/artists/ataa-oko
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