Contemporary African Art

You may already have a number of reasons for choosing contemporary African art. But if you’re unfamiliar with this type of work and want to know more, you will want to recognize several different techniques, colors, and styles that set this art apart from the rest. When you understand what makes contemporary African art something special, you will certainly want to bring a piece or two into your home.

One of the common words used to describe contemporary African art is ‘Natural.’ By focusing on simple brush strokes and shapes, the overall effect is much more organic than other pieces of modern art. It evokes a sense of having been painted outside in the brush, rather than in a cold, sterile studio. This natural feeling also creates an inviting tone that allows it to grace a home’s living room or entryway or even the kitchen or bedroom. And when you choose this kind of natural piece, you can accent the decorating themes that you’ve already established instead of having to recreate a room around a piece of art.

Rich colors pervade African American art and this is a design quality that is much admired by many owners of this art. The deep colors allow the warmth of the painting to come through and also engage a curious view as to the content of the scene. With vibrant reds and oranges, these pieces of art can be used to accent a monochromatic room or can be the central feature of a location. And while the colors vary from image to image, there is no lack of brightness or vitality – even the blues and the greens are striking.

What sets contemporary African art apart from other collections is its ability to depict the sense of struggles having been overcome. While you could say that these paintings reflect too much on the past, it’s more of a celebration of triumphing over a history that sought to defeat their spirit. You may see somber eyes in the works, but they’re full of hope at the same time. Though not every painting includes a setting in the past, you can see that there is no forgetting the history of the African American either.

Inherent in contemporary African art is also the feeling of simplicity, of no stroke without a definitive purpose. Whether this stems from a need to use only what the artist could find or if it comes from wanting to be as simple as possible, no one knows. But what you can sense is that this African art is created to be straightforward in its image, adding nothing that doesn’t belong or doesn’t need to be seen.

In choosing contemporary African art, you will find that there are many desirable qualities that make it stand out from other collections. And while you can find hundreds of artists that have created thousands of pieces, there are some that will appeal to you personally – as though they were created with only you in mind.