Embodying the Sacred in Yoruba Art: Featuring the Bernard and Patricia Wagner Collection

by Babatunde Lawal (Editor)

Across cultures and throughout time, great works of art have been inspired by spiritual beliefs. For the Yoruba, one of Africa's oldest and most influential cultures, art and spirituality are often intertwined. Works of art give visual form to the divine and inspire religious devotion. In turn, they are made powerful by spiritual forces. Aesthetics play an important role in the manifestation of the sacred. As the Yoruba say, art has the power to "fa aju mora" (magnetize the eyes) becoming "awowo-tun-wo" (that which compels repeated gaze). Embodying the Sacred in Yoruba Art explores the relationship between art and the spiritual world, revealing important insights into African artistic expression while making this information accessible to a broad, diverse public.

119 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008