The African Art of The African Masquerade: The Masks

1.

The African Art of The
African Masquerade: The
Masks
Student Name
University

2.

Introduction: Masquerade and Symbolism
• African masquerade: Multifaceted, performative art form (Gagliardi)
• Subject: Sociocultural dynamics and meaning of African masquerades
(Lanzon; Njoku)
• Unique practices: Mumuye masquerade (Nigeria), Ekpo society
masquerade (Nigeria), portrait masks (Burkina Faso) (Gagliardi)
• Symbolism and iconography: Masks, costumes, dance (Lanzon; Njoku)

3.

Medium and Materials
• Medium: Performance art, visual art (Gagliardi)
• Materials: Masks (wood, paint, beads, fabric, etc.), costumes, props
(Lanzon)
• Transformation of medium: André Sanou's portrait masks based on
photographs (Gagliardi)
• Intangible elements: Music, dance, audience interaction (Lanzon;
Njoku)

4.

Artists, Patrons, Viewers
• Artists: Often community or collective effort, individual artists like
André Sanou (Gagliardi)
• Patrons: Generally community-supported, societal, or cultural groups
(Lanzon; Njoku)
• Viewers: Community members, varying roles and reactions (Gagliardi)
• Specific viewer groups: Egungun and Ekpo societies' members,
Mumuye masquerade audiences (Lanzon; Njoku)

5.

Historical and Cultural Context
• Mumuye and Ekpo societies: Role in shaping identity, promoting unity
(Gagliardi)
• Ekpo society masquerades: Connection to ancestor veneration,
societal control (Lanzon; Njoku)
• Historical change: Emergence of new forms, like portrait masks
(Gagliardi)
• Uneven dispersion: Forms do not uniformly spread across regions
(Njoku)

6.

Symbolism and Iconography
• Masks: Denote spirits, ancestors, or specific individuals (Gagliardi)
• Dance: Conveys stories, societal values (Lanzon; Njoku)
• Public secrecy: Masks and identity of performers (Gagliardi)
• Changes in meaning: Interaction between masks and audience,
regional differences in forms and practices (Njoku)

7.

Conclusion
• African masquerades: Multifaceted form of performance art
• The interplay of tangible and intangible elements
• From traditional roles to contemporary forms
• Complexity of meanings
• Future perspectives

8.

References
Gagliardi, Susan Elizabeth. “Art and the Individual in African
Masquerades Introduction.” Africa, vol. 88, no. 4, Cambridge UP, Nov.
2018, pp. 702–17. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0001972018000438.
Lanzon, Ana. “The African Masquerade.” Right for Education, 7 Feb.
2022, rightforeducation.org/2022/02/07/the-african-masquerade.
Njoku, Raphael. “Unmasking the Masquerade: Counterideologies and
Contemporary Practices From West African Masking Traditions and
Diaspora Masquerade Carnivals: History, Memory, and
Transnationalism on JSTOR.” West African Masking Traditions and
Diaspora Masquerade Carnivals: History, Memory, and
Transnationalism, University of Rochester Press, 2020, pp. 136–59.
www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv114c79k.11.