Tribal Art - Is it growing in awareness and favor?

KIM PALMER has written in the Minneapolis Star Tribune (2/12/2009) about the growing popularity of African tribal art, which she attributes in part to the election of Barack Obama as President. Here are some excerpts:

"At first, it was kind of a fad," said Angie Scott, a St. Paul interior designer and owner of Access:Dezign. But globalization is fueling broader awareness and appreciation of other cultures and their aesthetic traditions.

For many black Americans, African-inspired design remains a celebration of cultural pride. "We're just drawn to those pieces and being in touch with our ancestry," said Scott.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Among collectors of global antiques and artifacts, African pieces "faded to the background for 10 or 15 years, as Asian antiques came in," said Ian Grant, owner of Bjorling & Grant, an imported furniture and accessories showroom in St. Louis Park, Minn. "Now, slowly, at the upper end of the market, African pieces are coming back in."

And there's much to appreciate, Ta-coumba Aiken said. "Some of the finest crafts in the world come from all parts of Africa. It's an area of beautiful age-old design. People will start looking at Africa and will be amazed."

There's more to the story and you can read it here , as reported by the Sacramento (CA) Bee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its web site at TribalWorks.com is excited to see a resurgence of interest in this beautiful ethnographic art. We have many pieces for sale that fall on the low end of high-end, traditional, authentic African tribal art. Check out the masks and sculptures in our African Room.
You can do more than add an African touch to your decor. You can add a art object with a rich, African tribal heritage to your experience.

A thank you tip to to Kim Palmer, The Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Sacramento Bee, who brought this story to our attention.