This catalogue is part of Dalton Somaré Gallery’s research on classical African sculpture and was presented on the occasion of BRAFA Art Fair 2022.
Texts: Dalton Somaré
Year: 2022
Format: 23 × 28.5 cm
Pages: 67, 40 black and white images
Language: English
Entering African art
African sculpture represents one of the most complex and compelling visual languages in the history of art, capable of deeply engaging anyone who approaches it. A well-known metaphor suggests that there are many doors through which one may enter a place, but none through which one can truly leave, an image that applies perfectly to African art. Collectors and scholars are familiar with this experience. African art fascinates through the richness of its forms, the intensity of its creative energy and the natural way in which it expresses a complexity that only appears to be unstructured.
This apparent formal freedom challenges our visual perception and judgment. African sculptures possess a rare quality: the ability to renew themselves continuously in the eye of the viewer, without ever exhausting their aesthetic force. Even after prolonged engagement, these works retain their visual power and capacity to surprise, confirming their place at the centre of classical African sculpture.
The approach developed by Dalton Somaré Gallery is based on the search for an African classicism, defined by harmony of forms, balance of proportions and a coherent visual order. These elements are never static, but animated by an emotional and vital force that makes each work unique and resistant to rigid categorisation. This perspective also highlights the deep connection between African art and 20th-century modernism, showing how these forms contributed to redefining the language of modern art.
African art can be understood as a traditional and social art form, distinct both from the concept of art for art’s sake and from certain ephemeral tendencies in contemporary production. In this catalogue, the choice of black and white photography reflects a precise intention: to isolate forms, emphasise volumes and reveal the criteria guiding the selection of works.
African Cuts is conceived as a catalogue focused on form, rhythm and the visual structure of African sculpture. Through a rigorous selection and a coherent visual approach, the publication invites collectors and enthusiasts to enter, and perhaps never leave, one of the most powerful artistic languages in the history of art.
A Hidden Heritage
Origins: A Vision on African Art
Entre Grâce et Brutalité
Classical Africa
