Acculturation II

Object Details

Fodé Camara, born 1958, Senegal

Label Text

As an active and successful member of the contemporary arts scene in Dakar, Senegal, Camara is well known for his ability to address issues of cultural hegemony, memory and acculturation through the use of broad and bold strokes of color. He, like his compatriots, draws inspirations from wide-ranging sources, local and global, as he seeks to highlight processes of cultural and artistic fusion in the post-colonial period. In this composition, the standing figure conceals his face, thus drawing the viewer in to consider the artist's intentions, which are open to interpretation.

Description

Large acrylic painting in vibrant reds, yellows, oranges, blues and purples. The composition is dominated by an imposing male figure who stands facing the viewer, arms raised to hold a white sheet of paper in front of the face. Camara uses vigorous brushstrokes to create a generous, muscular form that is echoed by a shadow shown behind and to the right of the front figure. A strong horizontal band crosses the figure's hip section, counteracting the vertically of the composition and drawing the viewer's attentions to the rich surrounding palette.

Exhibition History

Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue - From the Collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and Camille O. and William H. Cosby, Jr., National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, November 7, 2014-January 24, 2016

Body of Evidence-Rotation 1, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 14-October 15, 2006

African Art, African Voices: Long Steps Never Broke a Back, Cincinnati Art Museum, October 8, 2005-January 1, 2006

Recent Acquisitions and Promised Gifts, National Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 18, 2002-January 5, 2003

Published References

Kreamer, Christine Mullen and Adrienne L. Childs (eds). 2014. Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue from the Collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and Camille O. and William H. Cosby, Jr. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, pp. 130-131, 141, no. 76, pl. 59.

Spencer Stuart. 2008. Perspectives on Search. Company brochure.

Content Statement

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

Image Requests

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/

Credit Line

Museum purchase

2000

Object number

2001-4-1

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Painting

Medium

Acrylic on canvas

Dimensions

H x W: 190.5 x 127.2 cm (75 x 50 1/16 in.)

Geography

Senegal

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Record ID

nmafa_2001-4-1

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys757e2b8bb-7f25-4398-bd68-6791003f4377