Wherever I travel, I try to collect the local elements of those specific places which represent their heritage. Avoiding those souvenir markets from tourist spots, I look for their indigenous and cultural products in the local market. As an artist, it is a fascinating thing to collect unique art products from local artists from different cultures.
Recently, when I was doing some African tribal pattern art through bottle painting, I realized these types of print are now used everywhere, from dot mandala phonecases to bohemian fabric. So behind this new booming trend, I tried to dig a little to know more about their tribal art and folk art culture.
Source
If I want to define, tribal art is basically born from settled farmers, hunters, and tribal communities where they depict their own autonomy, heritage, and therefore their own characteristics. Through the painting, they bring out their ethnographic artifacts from different cultures. In their art, we often find a ceremonial or religious vibe, and just looking at their art pieces, we can come to know about their descendants and regional artistic heritage.
Especially in the African tribal artifact, their themes carry out fertility, supernatural elements and myths. Like in some of their culture, masks are decorated for their religious ceremonies and social rituals but the color, shape and design varies according to their tribes. Petroglyphs, tattooing, wood carving, painting and textile work are the common art forms in African artifacts.
Yet, their artwork wasn't appreciated among western art critics throughout the 19th century. This non-western art was not even considered art by mainstream western art professionals. Rather, their art form was seen as artifacts and cultural products of "exotic" or "primitive" cultures, as is still the case with ethnographic collections. They had observed these arts from only the formalist approach. In painting, formalism emphasizes compositional elements such as color, line, shape, texture, and other perceptual aspects rather than content, meaning, or the historical and social context ( See more ). And for this bias outlook, artist's intention, symbolism, the historical or cultural context behind the artwork left behind.
But in the second half of the 20th century, tribal and non-tribal artists from Africa started to work together which brought tribal art less paternalistic. And if we look at this present world, the fashion industries are getting cautious in using those specific words like "tribal" or "ethnic" to show their love for diversity and support decolonized perspective.
African pattern fabrics in etsy
For their promotion and encouragement, we can see the spread of tribal art and patterns through all of our fabrics and products. As an artist, I truly appreciate this culture.
And from this love, I've painted these cute bottles which are rich in vivid colors. This time, I'm satisfied with these little babies! 💙
Some more bottle paintings are coming soon! Stay turned!
Reference of tribal art