04 Nov / African Artists: From 1882 to Now by Chika Okeke-Agulu and Joseph L. Underwood, conceived and edited by Phaidon editors [in Shelf Awareness]
Make room for African Artists: From 1882 to Now, a stunning coffee-table title that is itself a substantial, gorgeous display. Conceived by internationally renowned art publisher Phaidon, this impressive compilation showcases 316 modern and contemporary artists who “were either born within the continent or have lived there at some time,” representing 51 of Africa’s 55 countries.
“Rather than curiosities or latecomers, as some Western critics have claimed, the artists profiled in this book alert us with greater urgency to the remarkable and profound work that has and continues to come out of Africa during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries,” writes Princeton professor Chika Okeke-Agulu, whose introduction is a contextual treasure trove.
The glorious paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs – by artists who represent Africa’s “triple heritage: indigenous, Arab/Islamic and European/Christian” – appear in alphabetical order, with biographies penned by prominent global experts. Scholar Joseph L. Underwood appends an extensive glossary.
Review: “Gift Issue,” Shelf Awareness, November 2, 2021
Readers: Adult
Published: 2021