Hedi Slimane started it. Last year the Saint Laurent creative force du jour added some African accents to a private salon in the brand’s flagship on Faubourg Saint-Honoré. And then the worlds of fashion, design and art simply had to follow.
American designers, the Haas Brothers, created creatures fabricated by female weavers from South Africa, that are currently on display at New York's Cooper Hewitt. Next was Valentino, with their theme of Africa and its culture for 2016, announcing that new windows in selected flagships would feature ethnographic African art pieces with contemporary works by Serge Uberti. 3.1 Phillip Lim joined in too, with a spring 2016 campaign photographed in Ethiopia and led by Ethiopian model and philanthropist Liya Kebede.
'It’s about taking people back to the elements and exposing them to the real essence of life through Africa’s beauty', says Boyd Ferguson, CEO of Cécile and Boyd, the designers of conservation luxury brand Singita. With the latest incarnation of their flagship, Boulders Lodge, they removed anything dated as 'tribal' and gave it a contemporary feel worthy of the entire continent.
But, perhaps, it all started with Pablo Picasso (before Kanye appropriated him) and his love for African art. 'I long represented one of France’s greatest photographers Lucien Clergue,' says Spencer Throckmorton, owner of Throckmorton Fine Art in New York. ' Seeing his photographs of Picasso with his collection of African art eventually led me to look closely at African art – I was enchanted. The market for African art, dominated by masks and sculptures of the human figure, is really healthy.'
But galleries like Stevenson, in Johannesburg and Cape Town (with an array of world-class and award winning African artists) and Galerie Bernard Dulon in Paris (which has been promoting primitive art from Africa since 2002) have been laying the foundation. The world, evidently, is playing catch up.
Pictured left: neckpiece, price on request, by Junya Watanabe; Bushcow (Mangam) helmet, by the Mama people (Nigeria), at Galerie Flak. Right: dress, £3,450, by Ralph Lauren Collection; Bushcow (Mangam) helmet, as before
Pictured left: dress, price on request by Salvatore Ferragamo; Kifwebe mask, by the Songye people (DRC), at Galerie Flak. Right: cuff, £1,120, by Chanel; flute, by the Nuna people (Burkina Faso), at Galerie Flak
Pictured left: necklace, £720, by Hermès; stand, price on request at Galerie Flak. Right: earring, £325, by Loewe; mask, by the Dan people (Ivory Coast/Liberia), at Galerie Bernard Dulon
Pictured left: dress, £1,289, by Phillipp Plein; Masque á bec, by the Ogoni people (Nigeria), at Galeria Bernard Dulon. Right: earring, £240, by Marni; Masque á bec, as before
Pictured left: mask, by the Dan people (Ivory Coast/Liberia), at Galerie Bernard Dulon; neckpiece, £220, by Prada. Right: dress, £458, by Versus; mask, as before
INFORMATION
Fashion: Isabelle Kountoure. As originally featured in the March 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*204)
-
Introducing Wallpaper’s new video series, Work in ProcessIn this series, Wallpaper* discovers the processes by which creative visionaries bring their work to life. First up, we head to the the Fonteyne Studio at the Royal Opera House to meet esteemed ballet dancer William Bracewell
-
Tour architect Paul Schweikher’s house, a Chicago midcentury masterpieceNow hidden in the Chicago suburbs, architect Paul Schweikher's former home and studio is an understated midcentury masterpiece; we explore it, revisiting a story from the Wallpaper* archives, first published in April 2009
-
Technogym’s new Pilates reformer blends peak performance with sleek designThe Technogym Reform is the latest addition to the company’s design-led equipment roster, made from sustainable materials including apple-skin leather
-
Remembering Koyo Kouoh, the Cameroonian curator due to lead the 2026 Venice BiennaleKouoh, who died this week aged 57, was passionate about the furtherance of African art and artists, and also contributed to international shows, being named the first African woman to curate the Venice Biennale
-
Inside Yinka Shonibare's first major show in AfricaBritish-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare is showing 15 years of work, from quilts to sculptures, at Fondation H in Madagascar
-
Don’t miss these artists at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair 2024As the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair returns to London (10-13 October 2024), here are the artists to see
-
How Amy Sall is highlighting the beauty of African cinemaAmy Sall is highlighting the cultural impact of African filmmakers with ‘The African Gaze: Photography, Cinema and Power’, published by Thames & Hudson
-
Juergen Teller’s ‘i need to live’ explores beauty and fragility at Triennale MilanoJuergen Teller’s ‘i need to live’ is on show at Triennale Milano, following its Paris debut, and spans shots of Yves Saint Laurent and Björk, as well as quirky self-portraits
-
Ghana’s artists celebrated in new book by Manju Journal‘Voices: Ghana’s artists in their own words’, from Manju Journal, celebrates 80 Ghanaian creatives
-
Wallpaper* contributing editor Ekow Eshun considers time, identity and cultural memory in Ghana‘In and Out of Time’, held at Gallery 1957 in Accra, Ghana, and curated by Wallpaper* contributing editor Ekow Eshun, celebrates the concept of Sankofa with artists including Malala Andrialavidrazana, Shiraz Bayjoo and Godfried Donkor
-
‘The Art of Advocacy’: Aïda Muluneh’s vivid photographs are forces for changeAt Efie Gallery, Dubai, Aïda Muluneh’s upcoming show, ‘The Art of Advocacy’ (12 January – 24 February 2023) surveys the photographer’s art as a tool for change, and debuts a new work, revealed exclusively here
