THE ART PORTAL

The continent of Africa can be defined, compared or equated to many things but nothing adequately describes the beauty and richness of Africa more than African Art. This is a conclusion to which I came after my recent visit to Sierra Leone.

During that visit, my team and I were living in a village with no running water, no electricity and the conditions were less luxurious than most can imagine. Our interaction was with people whose lives have been defined and held captive by extreme poverty and disease. Their children were malnourished and the people lived on less than what we call average in the western world. The differences were evident and obvious around us. The mud-walled hut that served as our place of abode was drastically different from a furnished, air-conditioned house in London. Its walls were adorned with wooden masks which were either human or animal or of mythical creatures, a far cry from the expensive Picassos found in Western homes. The hole dug in the ground with a stick fence surrounding did not look or feel anything like the porcelain, flushing toilet in the western world and the language, landscape, food and traditions were evidently different from that with which we are accustomed.

And yet, no one in our team was talking about these differences. Everyone was amazed at the beauty of the carvings, sculptures and paintings that surrounded us. We were awed by the talent and creativity through which this art was created. One particular piece that struck me was a painting of a hunting party crossing the desert. The setting sun in the background of the painting comprised of a rich blend of colours that not only gave life to the painting but also left unanswered questions and imaginations in the mind of the viewer.

Perhaps what astonished me most was the revelation that most of the art around the hut was the creation of the 12 year old son of our host. I wondered if all of his art was for home decoration of some of it was for sale. My host informed us that as living conditions had become harder, his son had dropped out of school to concentrate on helping in the garden to harvest produce for sale and he was subsidising the income by selling some of his art. Disappointingly though, the African artist does not necessarily have the equivalent of the western fine artist who relies on patronage or the marketplace to regulate his or her production.

At the end of our visit, a thought came into my mind; I thought about how a better platform on which to promote this creativity could not only empower and sustain these people but it could also enrich and improve their livelihoods. As one of its key objectives, the Eden Dervan Foundations aims to empower people and improve their communities in lasting ways. By investing in humanitarian and cultural aid through various associations, companies and partnerships with NGOs, help has been able to reach a broad section of the local population but poverty cannot be eradicated by aid alone. It is also necessary to provide conduits and streams through which people can enhance their creativity to better their lives. It is a matter of presence and motivation.

For this reason, the Eden Dervan foundation has resolved to also focus on promoting contemporary African arts and products for sale to the retail and wholesale markets. Through partnership with various companies, associations and NGO’s, the Eden Dervan foundation will establish development  projects with a view to helping African artists gain recognition and easier access to markets. The long term goal is to let African creativity promote its culture, beauty and heritage.

Our friends may live in a world very different to our own, but when we look at and interact with one another, we begin to see a reflection of ourselves and of God in one another. Each of us has the power to give life meaning, to make our time and our bodies and our words into instruments of love and hope and to give each other a helping hand.