African art
Burkina Faso is a small, landlocked country north of Ghana and south of Mali and Niger. Economically, it is one of the four or five poorest countries in the world. Culturally, it is extremely rich. In part this is because so few people from Burkina have become Muslim or Christian. Many of the ancient artistic traditions for which Africa is so well known have been preserved in Burkina Faso because so many people continue to honor the ancestral spirits, and the spirits of nature. In great part they honor the spirits through the use of masks and carved figures. Many of the countries to the north of Burkina Faso had become predominantly Muslim, while many of the countries to the south of Burkina Faso are heavily Christian. In contrast many of the people of Burkina Faso continue to offer prayers and sacrifices to the spirits of nature and to the spirits of their ancestors. The result is that they continue to use the sorts of art that we see in museums in Europe and America.
Diébédo Francis Kéré
The village of Gando is located south east of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital. The 3000 inhabitants live in small mud huts with tin or straw roofs. The huts are gathered in small groups forming communities. The village has no access to running water or electricity, and the literacy rate remains below the national average of 25%. According to the UN Human Development Index in 2011, Burkina Faso is the 7th least developed country in the world. Lack of education, low income and life expectancy hold back the country's development, and most people are subsistence farmers, remaining dependent on the harsh climate. There is virtually no rain between October and June, and daytime temperatures can easily reach 45 °C.