"Born in Mali and raised in France, Aboubakar Fofana is a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose working mediums include calligraphy, textiles and natural dyes. He is known for his work in reinvigorating and redefining West African indigo dyeing techniques, and much of his focus is devoted to the preservation and reinterpretation of traditional West African textile and natural dyeing techniques and materials." [posted: Nov 22, 2022]
"The story of the fantasy coffin begins in 1950s colonial Ghana. In Ghana, chiefs are often transported via palanquins (also known as sedan chairs) during traditional festivals. In the 1950s, Seth Kane Kwei, a young carpenter, made a palanquin in the shape of a cocoa pod for one such chief. Unfortunately, the chief died unexpectedly before the festival, so he was buried in the palanquin instead. At his funeral, the unique coffin drew many admirers. Today, the workshop is owned by the descendants of Seth Kane Kwei and managed by his grandson, Eric Adjetey Anang, artist and master coffin maker." [posted: Nov 20, 2022]
"The big, bold woven baskets with their contemporary shapes and strong, quirky designs are a world removed from the conventional shapes and designs of traditional Zulu basket weaving. Yet Angeline is a rural Zulu woman who was born and still lives near Hlabisa, a deep-rural town in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal’s traditional Zululand area. Her weaving techniques and the materials she uses are also strongly rooted in the ancient Zulu art of basket weaving, which she first learnt as a child." [posted: Nov 20, 2022]
Award winning Malian book artist, musician, storyteller. Artwork includes painted ceramics, book art and sculpture. [posted: May 11, 2009]
Jackie Abrams is a contemporary basketry and fiber artist who counts Africa among her strong influences: "The fabrics, the colors, the cultures, the earth, and the people continue to impact the vessels I create." [posted: Aug 08, 2006]
"Ibou N'Diaye learned to sculpt by observing elder sculptors in Bandiagara, Mali, his hometown. Using hatchets, adzes, files, and chisels; Ibou carves mahogany and ebony. He integrates traditional and modern forms, resulting in a style that retains the essential aspects of Dogon sculpture. He currently resides in Takoma Park, MD." [posted: Mar 05, 2004]
Website for Nigerian textile artist Nike Davies Okundaye. "While she is known for her colorful batik and paintings that offers a modernist gloss on traditional themes, she was brought up amidst the traditional weaving and dying practiced in her native village of Ogidi in Western Nigeria. Her fame as an artist and teacher has taken her all over the globe." Her website has information about the various art centers she established in Nigeria to train artists and the tours offered to overseas visitors. [posted: Mar 05, 2004]
Web site of quilter Hollis Chatelain. "The twelve years I lived in Africa have deeply influenced me. Six months after moving back to the United States, my longing for Africa was so great that I started to paint African images in order to put me back into the life I loved so much. I feel Americans should know more about the joy, harmony, and pride of the African people, rather than only hearing about the suffering and turmoil so commonly depicted in the media. I would like viewers to see my African imagery as a tribute to a people I truly admire and respect." [posted: Mar 04, 2004]
Painter Antognoni Brunhoso, originally from Angola, currently lives in the Netherlands. [posted: Mar 04, 2004]
Jonathan Lessor is a Nigerian painter. "My favourite subjects are often those in which most of the units or elements are not fixed but always in constant state of flux. There must be movement for it to arouse my interest." [posted: Mar 04, 2004]
