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More about contemporary African art
Africa is home to a great and thriving contemporary art culture. This has been sadly understudied until recently, due to scholars' and art collectors' emphasis
on African "traditional" arts. Notable modern artists include Wiz Kudowor,
Rikki Wemega-Kwawu, Zerihun Yetmgeta, Odhiambo Siangla, Olu Oguibe, Lubaina Himid, and Bill Bidjocka.
Art biennials are held in Dakar, Senegal, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Many contemporary African artists are represented in museum collections,
and their art may sell for high prices at art auctions. Despite this, many contemporary African artists tend to have difficult times finding a
market for selling their work. Many contemporary African arts borrow heavily from traditional predecessors. Ironically,
this emphasis on abstraction is seen by Westerners as an imitation of European and American cubist and totemic artists,
such as Picasso and Matisse , rather than a re-presenting of the art of their ancestors. As such, contemporary African art can be seen as unoriginal
and non-innovative in the Western art market.
Influence on Western Art
African art came to European notice c.1905, when artists began to recognize the aesthetic value of African sculpture. Such artists as Vlaminck, Derain, Picasso, and Modigliani were influenced by African art forms. Interest in the arts of Africa has flourished, and many modern Western artists have rediscovered the enduring qualities of African art. In the latter part of the 20th cent., African art has come to be appreciated for its intrinsic aesthetic value as well as continuing to be a source of inspiration for the work of Western artists
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