Galerie Hamid

Galerie Hamid has grown to be one of the largest collectors and distributors of indigenous African and contemporary art in the Greater Philadelphia region.

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Tanzania - Makunde Tribal Drum

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The Nsude Pyramids in Igboland And The Plight Of African Excavation Projects

When most people think of pyramids, they think Egypt. This is a large misconception since pyramids are located all over the world. In the 1930’s, an archaeologist, G.I. Jones, discovered the Nsude Pyramids in Southeastern Nigeria in Igboland. His findings were just released a few years ago with several black and white photographs of the pyramids when he discovered them.  

It is quite possible that these pyramids were actually built before the great pyramids of the Egyptian civilization. An Igbo scholar who knew about the pyramids before the press release, Obi Nwakanma, said, “Yes, the Igbo built pyramids long before Egypt. There are much more that people do not know about “Uwa ndi Igbo” -and I have also said, that one of the reasons why the British suppressed archaeological work on the Igbo is that they saw its complexity, and became frightened by what they saw: Yet was going to dismantle the frame upon which colonialism was built – the entire notion of the “civilizing mission” which like today’s “spreading democracy” was simply an excuse to dominate cultures. The Igbo are the most unstudied civilization . Igbo civilization preceded Egypt; Eze Nri Meabua – who had the ability to appear in numerous places at the same time.”

Anyone who has taken the time to study African art is familiar with Nwakanma’s frustration with the fact that a lot of the history of African art is yet untapped by archaeologists and research. There is so much yet to discover, but the resources are lacking for the thorough excavation that is needed in places throughout Africa.  It is a shame, because with each passing year there are undoubtedly artifacts fading away into ruin.Read More 

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Questions To Ask Yourself When Looking At African Art

Often when people go to look at art, they can be intimidated by the experience. They may identify some pieces as beautiful, silly, intriguing or boring, but sometimes it is hard to put the myriad of emotions and ideas that come into words when looking at art. Just like anything, learning how to discuss and appreciate art takes some practice.

One way you can really start to get the brain ticking when you are looking at art is learning how to ask questions about the art. The answers to those questions, and even sometimes the questions themselves, become conversation pieces or just thoughts you can keep to yourself. We wanted to create a guide of some basic question to ask yourself when looking specifically at African art to help viewers of the unique type of art to enhance experience. (P.S. Here is an excellent guide of questions you can ask when looking at any piece of art.)

For practice, why don’t you start by looking at this Yoruban Sculpture, and then answer the following questions about it.  If you want to maximize the benefits of learning to discuss art try doing it with a friend in-person or over an email. Or, if you happen to be in Philadelphia come to Galerie Hamid and we'll be happy to guide you around our many exhibits, as we love to share the stories of our art. 

What tribe or who made it?

Often in African art, especially historic piece, we may not know exactly who made the piece of artwork. However, it is often known which tribe made the art. Learning about the tribe and the background gives you a further understanding of what the artwork may be all about.

  What may the purpose or meaning behind this piece be?

This is a fun question to speculate and get the analytical thought process going. When considering this question with African art, the more background knowledge you have about the tribe, the easier it is to make an accurate guess.

  How would you describe this piece of art?

Often just describing the physical aspects of the piece of art gives you a place to start discussing it. For this, you can just use regular language and do the best you can with your own words. Or you can use Western art terminology to supplement the vocabulary and perhaps enrich the conversation. Here is a list of blogs where we discuss how you can use Western art terms to discuss African art.

  How do you personally relate to this piece?

Often cultures in Africa are significantly different than our own, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find commonalities. When exploring the art of other cultures it is fun to compare and contrast the different human experiences through the art. However, be wary of drawing lines of distinction that implicate superiority of one culture or another.

  How does this compare to other African art you have seen?

Once you begin to become more familiar with African art, it is a whole new topic of comparing different pieces. You can compare pieces from different tribes or within the same tribe. This is how you can begin to evaluate what qualities that you personally find intriguing when viewing African art!

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10 Interesting Facts About The Ibo People

The diverse array of cultures in African offers a lifetime of study for those who are curious. We just wanted to give a glimpse into the lives of one of the many cultures- the Ibo. At our gallery and store you can see many examples of Ibo art, including this Medium Statue Wooden Statue of a Male Figure. Here are ten small facts that will give you some insight the Ibo.

Ibo’s live in a sub-division of Nigeria known as Iboland.

Until they reach puberty, Ibo’s wear little to no clothing. After they reach maturity, the men where cotton shirts and loincloth. The women wrap cloth around their bodies and heads.

Traditionally the Ibo people lived under something similar to a democratic republican political system. This meant, ideally, that citizens were guaranteed equality instead of serving under a king or ruling class.

The British Rule in the 19th century would introduce centralized government to the Ibo people, where king-like figures were imposed to serve the British monarch. This transition from democracy to monarchy did not always go smoothly, and the change is still a source of tension today.

When slavery impacted the Ibo people the effects were devastating, because so many young individuals were taken from the community. Often individuals were handed over to be sold due to the fact they committed crimes and owing money.

The earliest sculptures discovered thus far in Iboland are from the 9th It was a site of an apparently wealthy man that contained 165,000 glass beads from all over the world, copper object, bronze casting and other art.

The Ibo actually have pyramids of their own, known as the Nsude Pyramids. These ten pyramid shaped structure were actually built out of just mud and clay. The base of the pyramids has a circumference of 60 feet then each stack gets gradually smaller until it reaches the top. Due to the fragile nature of the material, the pyramids must be re-built every now and again. Some say that the Nsube pyramids may have even been around before the Egyptian pyramids. Keep Reading 

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5 Poems By African Americans To Inspire You

We at Galerie Hamid obviously love our African art, but we also have a taste for Africa poetry too. As you peruse around the our website or our gallery, we recommend getting fully into the state of mind of Africa by exposing all five senses to African experience. Try African cuisines, African music, African poetry, African clothes and African art to allow all five gateways to the brain to be stimulated in a way that will give you the full experience, short of travelling throughout Africa itself. Allow yourself a vacation to Africa without even leaving the country.

Without further ado, here are five African poems that we found to be particularly inspiring: 

A Far Cry From Africa

Written by: Derek Walcott

  A wind is ruffling the tawny pelt

Of Africa. Kikuyu, quick as flies,

Batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt.

Corpses are scattered through a paradise.

Only the worm, colonel of carrion, cries:

“Waste no compassion on these separate dead!”

Statistics justify and scholars seize

The salients of colonial policy.

What is that to the white child hacked in bed?

To savages, expendable as Jews?

  Threshed out by beaters, the long rushes break

In a white dust of ibises whose cries

Have wheeled since civilization’s dawn

From the parched river or beast-teeming plain.

The violence of beast on beast is read

As natural law, but upright man

Seeks his divinity by inflicting pain.

Delirious as these worried beasts, his wars

Dance to the tightened carcass of a drum,

While he calls courage still that native dread

Of the white peace contracted by the dead.

  Again brutish necessity wipes its hands

Upon the napkin of a dirty cause, again

A waste of our compassion, as with Spain,

The gorilla wrestles with the superman.

I who am poisoned with the blood of both,

Where shall I turn, divided to the vein?

I who have cursed

The drunken officer of British rule, how choose

Between this Africa and the English tongue I love?

Betray them both, or give back what they give?

How can I face such slaughter and be cool?

How can I turn from Africa and live? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ka Ba

Written by: Imamu Amiri Baraka

  A closed window looks down

on a dirty courtyard, and black people

call across or scream or walk across

defying physics in the stream of their will

  Our world is full of sound

Our world is more lovely than anyone's

tho we suffer, and kill each other

and sometimes fail to walk the air

  We are beautiful people

with african imaginations

full of masks and dances and swelling chants

  with african eyes, and noses, and arms,

though we sprawl in grey chains in a place

full of winters, when what we want is sun.

  We have been captured,

brothers.

 And we labor

to make our getaway, into

the ancient image, into a new

  correspondence with ourselves

and our black family.

 We read magic

now we need the spells, to rise up

return, destroy, and create.

 What will be

the sacred words? Keep Reading 

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10 Facts About The Feng Tribe

When we look at different art from Africa, often you'll notice it is categorized by it's tribe. For example, the Large Cameroonian Mask is classified as a mask from the Feng Tribe. By knowing which tribe created the artwork, we can learn more about the nature of the artwork itself.

Looking at the Large Ameroonian Mask, lets explore the makeup of the tribe who created this mask in the first place. Here are ten facts about the feng tribe that will give you insight into this remarkable piece of artwork. 

10 Facts About The Feng Tribe 

   The Feng, or the "Fang" Tribe, are a tribe of approximately 800,000 who live in a vast network of villages in geographical Cameroon, Guinea and Gabon.

 Their people constitutes 80% of the Gabon population. 

 For most of the history of the tribe, the Feng were a migratory tribe. Today they still are mainly hunters rather than gatherers, and they maintain many other customs that reflect their migratory roots. 

A lot of the art of the Feng is made of surrounding material from the equatorial forest, so their artwork is often comprised of wood, bamboo, and plant fibers.

Due to the fact the Feng migrated, they never established grave sites for their dead. Instead, they hauled around the bones and skulls of important members of their society with boxes made of bark. Keep Reading 

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Congolese-Born Man Buys Back African Art

Sindika Dokolo has made it his mission to purchase back many pieces of African art from the American and European art collectors who currently own it. Dokolo is a Congolese-born man who runs a business out of Angola. Using the art he buys back, he hopes to one day to open a museum in Angola’s capital city, Luanda, showcasing all of the art he is currently in the process purchasing.

Dokolo does not blame European collectors for having this art, he said, “Most of the collectors of such pieces are older, white Europeans. They love the art because it is so powerful.”

Dokolo is absolutely right, a lot of African art is not actually in Africa anymore due to outside collectors who have been buying, stealing and collecting African art for a very long time now. The powerful natural of the art along with its unusual aesthetic, has stirred the interest of historic and contemporary collectors. We here at Galerie Hamid obviously are one of the said collectors who enjoy housing many African art pieces well outside of Africa here in Philadelphia. As the African art market grows with the prosperity of the genre, it is no wonder that African art collectors want to get a piece of the action, but obviously they also want to re-claim their heritage as well. The combination of ethics and profit is a hard position to argue with.  

When the Exit of African Art Started

In a globalized world, it is hard for us to imagine that there once was a time when culture and art remained relatively homogeneous in their particular regions. It wasn’t just closed and prejudice minds that kept art from spreading internationally, but it was also a means of logistics that often hampered the spreading of ideas. Until relatively recently, travelling was difficult enough without carrying along immense cargo. As the world progressed, art from different cultures gradually spread throughout the world, but it is important to not take advantage of the fact the exchange of ideas was quite limited historically. Read More 

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10 Interesting Facts about African Art

The rich history of African art offers us a whole new field of study which we’re just beginning to scrape the surface of the nuances of the art of the continent. Here are 10 interesting facts about African art that will help you further understand the general traditions behind much of African art from the present and past.

The earliest art ever found was discovered in Africa. The art is two tiny piece of engraved ochre that is an estimated 77,000 years old.

The abstract styles of traditional African artists influenced many famous modern European artists, including Picasso.

Due to the fact little archaeological excavations has been preformed and the fact much of African art was made of natural materials, a lot of African art still remains lost or destroyed.

Traditionally, scholars only used “African art” to describe the Art of “Black Africa” in Sub-Sahara African, excluding the people of the Mediterranean, North African, Ethiopians and Egyptians. Currently there is a movement to include all of African in the description of African art.

Artists in African generally preferred the medium of sculpture or masks over two-dimensional types of art.

Most African art has multiple meaning and uses, so when you look at African art understand that it more than likely has a complex back story.

Contemporary Western trained African artists are combining traditional African styles with Western art ideals to create whole new genres of art. For example, when we look at the Distorted Head we see a very Westernized abstract painting, but it definitely is influenced by African sculptures such as the Nigerian Bronze Head of Queen.

The relatively recent introduction of Islam and Christianity has impacted the styles of some African art.

Some African societies knew how to cast metal sculptures like the Benin Bronze Soldier as early as the 10thcentury.

Africa is the largest and most diverse continent in the world, so there is not just one style of African art.

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World's First Artwork found in Africa

In the Blombos Cave in South Africa around 10 years ago, the oldest art ever discovered was excavated from where it’s been hiding from us for nearly 80,000 years. The art is just two tiny pieces of ochre with carved patterns of crossed lines. These two artworks are estimated to be around 77,000 years ago, so they were created during the Middle Stone Ages.

This means as far back as 4,000 generations ago, people in Africa were creating art. When we look at pieces contemporary pieces of African art, like the Burkina Faso - Pastel Colored Mask, it is always important to remember that this art was produced from the accumulation of thousands upon thousands of years of African art traditions. We emphasize this point due to the fact European scholars, who upon discovering African art, labeled it “primitive”, which is terribly ironic given African art traces its roots all the way back to the origins of humanity.

From this finding scholar speculate that not only were Africans making art, but they also were using grammatical speech. Scholars link this art to speech because the abstract symbols on the art have to represent something- although today we can’t even begin decipher the meaning of the symbols. When you look at the steadiness and purposefulness of the pattern of the lines on the pieces of red ochre, it is easy to tell this design had to be intentionally carved into the ochre. Also, in order to share such art, the people who created these two pieces of ochre would need the verbal skills to explain what exactly the art meant to other individuals. Read More 

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A Brief History of Brass Making in the Benin Kingdom

The Benin people distinguish themselves from neighboring regions with their unique value of trade. They’ve even gone to war in the past with neighbors to hold certain trade roots and rights. In their kingdom, up until very recently, the trade was controlled by the an organization of the kingdom that was in charge of iron working, leatherworking, weaving, brass casting, bead working, carving, performances of musicians and dancers, ceremonial choreography and weaving.  This group, known as the Iwebo, also was in charge of all international trade. In the Benin Kingdom, it wasn’t what we consider traditional money (gold) that was powerful, but useful crafts that were the sole responsibility of the Iwebo group.

The Colonial Influence in Brass Work

When the first colonial explorers met the Benin Kingdom in the 15th century, the kingdom traded with their crafts rather than with gold. The Benin were influenced by the Europeans desire for trading certain items, especially brass. For example, before encountering the Portuguese the Benin did not make as many brass and other metal objects although they’d known of the art since at least the 10th century. To meet the economic demands of the Portuguese, they began to produce more brass jewelry and sculpture.

This new uptick in generating brass work did not extend to the everyday Benin people though, because brass objects were strictly reserved for the ruling class until the modern era. Beyond trade, only the ruling class was allowed access to the brass objects. To create these brass objects, like the Benin Bronze Soldier, a lost wax method is used, and then the brass sculpture’s details are filed down. You can learn more about the African lost wax method by visiting this link to the MET website.

Today trading is allowed outside of the Iwebo group, and there is even a hereditary guild of brass workers called the Igbesanmwan. Each generation passes down the traditional lost wax method down, so the next generation follows the same steps. Unlike in the past, their works are available to the general public to purchase.Read More 

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Islamic Influence in African Art

Africa sometimes has been labeled as the “dark continent” due to the inaccurate perception that Africans had not interacted much with the rest of world until European colonialist began to explore, exploit and colonize Africa in the 15thcentury. However, the more one learns about Africa and African art, it becomes very apparent that African has held a place in the international community for a long time. One of the outside influences that is given little credit and study is Islam’s influence on the continent.

Why this influence is ignored is for a number a reasons, but there are two explanations people give. One, they see Islam’s influence African art as an impurity to genuine African and culture since Islam originate off of the continent. This, once again, conveys the pretentions people have about Africa, because who is say what is genuinely African culture and what is not?

The other excuse given is that Islam-influenced African art is just a poor demonstration of Islamic art found in other areas of the world, such as Mughal India, Persia, Middle East, etc. This is absurd given African artists make their own unique contributions to Islamic art by infusing their cultural experience in Africa to the religion and art.

We tend to disagree with both of these perspectives, and view Islamic influenced African art a worthy topic of study. Given that Islam has had a presence in Africa for nearly two thousand years, it is not for us to judge the value of the influence. Instead we view Islamic’s influence in the rich history of African art as another thread of the fabric that creates the rich and diverse tapestry of the art of the continent. Read More 

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How to Use Western Art Terms For Sculpture Part II

This is part II of our series of blogs going over vocabulary words that help us discuss African art. Although most of these words are Western in origin, we can still use them to help us describe different types of African art. Although it is important to remember many traditional African artists did and do not have these art terms as concepts, it doesn’t mean we can’t use the words to explore another dimension of African art.

The following are art terms that are especially useful for describing sculpture. We’ll give the definition of the vocabulary word along with an example of the word used to describe a piece of traditional African art.

Western Art Terms for African Art

Bas Relief: A sculpture where the designs protrude from the background. 

Example

You can see an example of a bas relief in Cameroon - Urn. Notice how the artist would have had to carve into the flat surface of the wood to make the indents for the woods to create the protruding designs. African frequently created bas reliefs with hardwoods to make intricate designs like we see on this urn on sculptures, architecture and dishware.

Bronze: A material that is made of a mixture of copper, tin, zinc and/or phosphorus. It used commonly in sculpture due to the fact it is stronger and harder than many other metal materials.

Example

The Benin Bronze Soldier is composed of bronze. Notice the tint of the bronze: how would you describe the tint? You don’t have to come up with an exact color name, but you can say it appears to be the color of a cigar wrapper or dark leather.  Bronze comes in a variety of hues, so one bronze sculpture can be a completely different color than another bronze sculpture. Read More 

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Protective Jewelry and Objects in the African Islamic World

In the Islamic world objects and jewelry were often viewed as talismans, or objects with protective and divine powers. Often in African jewelry we see images, inscriptions and symbols that are inspired by this tradition of objects having a divine nature. Especially in North African jewelry, like the Moroccan Earrings, theTaureg Necklace and the Taureg Necklace - Cube Elements, we see this practice used even in secular objects created for markets. As outsiders, we may see an attractive piece of jewelry due to our lack of insight to the religion and culture, but is likely to the knowledgeable viewers these objects would have religious implications.

These talismans are meant to shield their wearers from evil powers. Often they invoke a divine power to ward off evil that would cause the wearer harm. This extends to objects that are also considered to be divine objects.

However, the objects are not just limited to protection, for these objects can also be used for divine guidance. In Islam, like many other religions, it is believed when one is faced with an ethical dilemma they should consult with the Qur’an or Allah for guidance. The talisman also serves as objects that practitioners can consult with to seek out guidance.

To communicate this divinity sometimes images of the prophets are created. Other times prayers are inscribed in jewelry. Other times symbols like hamsa, like we see in the

Moroccan Earrings, is used to convey a deeper meaning. In the case of the hamsa symbol, the hand is meant to represent a protective divine hand known as the Hand of Fatima in Islam. Over centuries of creating talisman one could commit a lifetime to studying all the different ways artists have expressed divinity in jewelry and other sacred objects.  

Curious About the Background of African Jewelry You want to Purchase?

If you are curious whether a piece of African jewelry you want to purchase has a divine background you can do a couple of things to explore the background of the jewelry. First, you could ask the dealer who is selling the jewelry to you what they know of cultural context of the jewelry. Second, you could find out what people created the jewelry then explore the background of that people to see if they have a tradition of creating religious talisman. Or you could “Google” a general physical description of the jewelry to see if you can discover any information on the internet. Sometimes even after all that work the information is not out there, because the background of African artwork is still not a topic we know everything about! Read More 

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10 Interesting Facts about the Bambara People

Over two and half million Bambara people live in the savannahs of Mali where they produce some of the most unique artworks in African that combine a variety of traditions and techniques; take a look at their in works such as the Mali - Double Sided Fetish and the Large Malian Mask. In this article we will briefly explore the interesting lifestyles of the Bambara people by sharing 10 facts.  

  The Bambara have no established state although they do have many cultural institutions that unite the people.

Ever man in Bambara society goes through elaborate rituals throughout their entire life to gain more knowledge of ancestral traditions. These rituals start from childhood and continue throughout every male’s lifetime.

Around 80% of people who live in Mali speak Bambara although only around 30% of the population of Mali is comprised of Bambarans.

The Bambara live in a dry savannah that only allows them to live under a subsistence economy.

Read More 

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African Hamsa Jewelry to Protect You from Evil

One of the most ancient hand gestures as a symbol is the Hamsa, an open palm. This open hand symbolizes protection among many cultures. The universal historical meaning of Hamsa is that it is a symbol of God’s hand on earth. Through this symbol, it is supposed to be conveyed that God has a hand in everything on earth. Although the hamsa is used in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, it pre-dates all three religions.

You can see an example of what hamsa looks like in these Moroccan Earrings on our website. Notice how the thumb and pinky point off to the sides and the three middle fingers point straight forward. Decorative representations using precious metals, swirling colors and memorizing designs, like we see in these earrings, has been a popular way to represent the hamsa in African art.

In this blog, we’ll present a couple theories as to where the hamsa symbol originated. We’ll also briefly go over the cultural significance of the hamsa in Greek Mythology, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism  

Possible Origins of the Hamsa

The earliest discovered representations of the hamsa symbol were found on amulets in Ancient Mesopotomia. We’ve also discovered amulets with this representation in ancient Egyptian artifacts. Some speculate that perhaps the open-hand symbol was significant since pre-historic times, so it is hard to trace the hamsa back to its exact origins. 

The Hand of Venus/Aphrodite (Greek/Roman Mythology) 

The Greeks and Romans saw the hand as a symbol of protection from the gods, especially for women. The reason for this is the hand was supposed to boost fertility in women which was very important in early society where a women’s main job was to procreate. The hamsa was supposed to protect women from the evil eyes that would cause them to not reproduce effectively.

The Hand of Fatima (Islam)

Fatima Zahra was the daughter and closest confident of the prophet Muhammad according to Islam. According to their folklore, when Fatima’s husband brought home a new wife she was so shocked she stirred the soup with her bare hand. She didn’t at first notice that she was burning herself.

Symbolically Islam views the hand of Fatima as divine protection. It also is said that the hand, hamse, translates to five which represents the five pillars of Islam.  

The Hand of Mary (Christianity)

Similar to the hand of Venus and Aphrodite, the Hand of Mary was meant to protect women. The Hand of Mary traditionally was supposed to boost fertility and ensure healthy pregnancies. Some Christian traditions also viewed the hand as a symbol that would bring good luck.Read More 

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How to Use Western Art Terms to Look at African Masks

African masks are often grouped all into one genre of art, but the difference of styles in African masks seen in different cultures and time periods is astounding. By learning to describe the visual characteristics of African masks with official art terms, we can begin to differentiate the styles of African mask with our own journey through art.

The following are basic art terms that can be used to describe African masks. The definitions are followed by an example of the art term illustrated in a piece of art, so you can learn the practical application of the term.

Art Terms to Describe African Masks

Abstract: Not Realistic

Example

Almost all African masks do not aim to represent physical reality literally, but some African masks are more abstract than others. For example, in Cameroon - Fang Mask with Partial Aluminum and Copper Overlay you can see clearly that it is a stylized face, but with Burkina Faso - Large Bobo Decorative Mask you may not have known it was a face if you didn’t initially know it was an African mask.

Craftsmanship: The skills and manual dexterity required to make a work of art.

Example

The amazing process behind creating African masks takes high levels of craftsmanship. Traditionally, many African cultures had designated artisans who were spiritually ordained to create masks, and they created masks for ceremonies in their community as part of their profession. When looking at the masks like Large Malian Mask, it can be fun to learn or just think about the craftsmanship that had to go into creating the mask.

Design: The way the lines, shapes, colors, textures and space are put together in a work of art. Read More 

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How to Use Western Art Terms to Look at African Sculptures

There are many ways to appreciate African art! Some people like to study the culture, others the craftsmanship and some just like to look at it with no background. Another way to gain appreciation for African art is to visually analyze it using Western art terms.

  Although much of traditional African art was not made with Western art standards in mind, that doesn’t mean we can’t use Western art terms to describe the art. By having terms to describe the characteristics of the art in our vocabulary, we can deepen our appreciation of African art and make it easier to discuss the art.

  The following are basic art terms that can help you describe African sculptures. Below the definition is an example of an African sculpture that matches the term that can help you better understand the application of the art term.

  Western Art Terms for Viewing African Sculpture

Abstract: Not realistic.

Example

A lot of African art, like the Guinean Female's Head, depicts images in a non-realistic way. In fact, many of the modern abstract artists got the idea to be more abstract by viewing traditional African art!

  Naturalism: Realistic

Example

 Naturalism is when an artist makes an effort to create a work that depicts something realistically. In the Nigerian Bronze Head of Queen we see the facial features are not too far off from what we may expect to see on a normal face in reality.Read more