Editing African art (section)

== Traditional African religions ==
{{Main|Traditional African religions}}
[[Traditional African religions]] have significantly shaped the art forms and cultural expressions across the African continent. These religions often emphasize the connection between the spiritual and material worlds, resulting in art that serves a functional and symbolic role. Artworks created within these traditions frequently embody religious symbolism, [[utilitarianism]], and functionality. For instance, masks, sculptures, and figurines are often integral to rituals, ceremonies, and spiritual practices, symbolizing ancestral spirits, deities, or cosmic forces.<ref>{{Citation |last=Olupọna |first=Jacob J. |title=Sacred arts and ritual performances |date=2014-01-09 |work=African Religions |pages=72–88 |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/465/chapter-abstract/135244076?redirectedFrom=fulltext |access-date=2024-10-06 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/actrade/9780199790586.003.0005|isbn=978-0-19-979058-6 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

One central theme is the veneration of ancestors, who are viewed as intermediaries between the living and the divine. [[Ancestor worship]] inspires the creation of ritualistic objects, such as carved statues, ceremonial masks, and sacred relics, used to honor and communicate with these spiritual entities. For example, the [[Baule people|Baule]] and [[Dogon people|Dogon]] peoples produce highly detailed figurines and masks for rituals aimed at ensuring communal well-being.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Vogel|first=Susan Mullin|title=Baule: African Art, Western Eyes|date=1997|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-07317-1}}</ref>

Traditional African art also serves as a means of depicting deities and natural forces. Gods such as [[Ogun]], the deity of iron, war, and craftsmanship in [[Yoruba religion]], are often represented through sculptures or tools imbued with symbolic power.<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Deities and Their Artistic Representations|url=https://africafacts.org/african-religion-ogun/|access-date=2024-10-06}}</ref>

The influence of external religions, particularly [[Christianity]] and [[Islam]], has also left a lasting imprint on African art. Over centuries, elements of these faiths have been integrated into traditional religious practices, resulting in syncretic artworks that blend indigenous and foreign iconography. For example, Islamic geometric patterns have influenced West African textiles, while Christian symbolism appears in the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Exile|Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s]] illuminated manuscripts and murals.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bourdillon|first=Michael F. C.|date=1975-03-10|title=Themes in the Understanding of Traditional African Religion|url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=reh&AN=ATLA0000915181&site=ehost-live|journal=Journal of Theology for Southern Africa|publisher=University of KwaZulu-Natal|pages=37–50|issn=0047-2867|via=EBSCOhost}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Gill|first=Michael|title=Sacred Textiles of West Africa|date=1992|publisher=British Museum Press|isbn=978-0714116195}}</ref>