African art has ‘spiritual dimension’
The cultural heart of African tribes has arrived in Wairarapa.
Nearly 100 cultural works, from masks and figures to instruments, are on display at Masterton’s Aratoi Museum of Art and History in Minkisi – Art and Belief in West and Central Africa.
Art enthusiast Desmond Bovey began travelling to Africa in the 1980s, and when he inherited a collection of 26 tribal statues and masks, his interest in the cultural works known as minkisi was sparked.
‘‘Minkisi’’ is a word used to generally refer to statues found in the Congo region – each is thought to hold a spirit that takes care of an individual or group, whether that’s taking care of their health or ensuring a good harvest.
Each figure is carefully covered in items of symbolic meaning, including feathers, rope, chains or even hair.
Whanganui-based Bovey has collected around 100 different minkisi over the last few decades and emphasises he is the guardian of the works, not the owner.
‘‘When I acquired these objects, they began to speak to me,’’ he said. ‘‘I became obsessed about what had shaped them, not only the aesthetic codes, but the beliefs. I decided that, instead of travelling from country to country, I’d select one small part of Africa and keep going back, digging in, travelling deeper.’’ The collection comes from 33 tribal groups in 10 different African countries.
In gathering minkisi, Bovey said he had to put himself in the hands of the locals.
‘‘Otherwise, nothing works, no doors open. Africans are slow to trust Europeans. You can’t blame them for that. I found a group of friends I could count on.’’
As soon as he stepped into the African forests, he felt ‘‘alive’’ in a special way.
‘‘There was a spiritual dimension that I could not understand, nor even really believe in. It revived some long-dormant senses and made my skin prickle as I walked with my African companions and listened to their incredible stories,’’ he said.
That was alongside the more physical dangers present in the wildlife — snakes, ants and the possibility of a panther.
Aratoi director Susanna Shadbolt said the exhibition featured an amazing display of art from a part of the world that many people knew little about.
Minkisi – Art and Belief in West and Central Africa is on at Aratoi Museum until November 25.