2020 essay collection by Wole Soyinka
Beyond Aesthetics: A Passion for African Art is a book of essays by Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka. It offers insights into Soyinka's personal motivations as an art collector and explores the politics of aesthetics and collecting. Through accounts of his encounters with artworks, Soyinka reflects on the histories, meanings, and cultural significance embedded in these objects, revealing a world populated by mortals, muses, and deities.
The book examines the role of identity, tradition, and originality in the creation, collection, and exhibition of African art. Soyinka critiques the suppressive impact of colonial and religious dogma on African artistic traditions and addresses controversies surrounding certain objects. He describes how art collecting can reclaim and preserve tradition. Soyinka also calls on African artists, filmmakers, collectors, and curators to engage deeply with their aesthetic and cultural legacies.
Plot.
Wole Soyinka's journey as an art collector and his exploration of the cultural, historical, and personal dimensions of African art. The book intertwines Soyinka’s reflections on his encounters with various artworks, recounting moments of discovery and the profound impact these pieces have had on him. These objects, with the presence of mortals, muses, and deities, serve as gateways to narratives that resonate with Africa’s rich cultural heritage.
Soyinka examines the broader themes of identity, tradition, and originality in the context of creating, collecting, and exhibiting African art. He critiques the enduring effects of colonial and religious suppression on African artistic traditions, while also addressing controversies surrounding the ownership and interpretation of specific objects. Throughout the essays, Soyinka advocates for a reclamation of Africa’s artistic legacy, emphasizing the importance of contextualizing art within its cultural and historical roots.
The book closes with a call to action for African artists, filmmakers, collectors, and curators to actively engage with their aesthetic and cultural histories. Soyinka presents collecting not merely as an act of acquisition but as a way of preserving and reaffirming tradition, offering a deeply personal yet universal perspective on the power and politics of art.
References.
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