African Art, African Stories
February 2 - March 15, 2012
Opening Reception: Thursday, February 2, 6-8pm

An exhibition of African tribal art including works from Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Tanzania, Angola, Guinea, Cameroon and Nigeria, "African Art, African Stories," provides an introduction to various traditional art forms and materials. Many works date to the early 20th century, some earlier, with stories at times remarkable and unexpected, referencing the use of art within the society that created it. In addition to a variety of works created throughout the African continent, the exhibit explores perceptions of tribal-styled art made for export and foreign markets. Issues of value and authenticity are important contemporary considerations for many collectors and museums.

The exhibit includes a large Yoruba Beaded Altar Cloth and a Baule Mouse Oracle from the Ivory Coast. The Mouse Oracle is a wood vessel with two chambers, one for a mouse and one for straw. With the lid closed the mouse would feed on and rearrange the straw to be later "read" by a diviner in the Baule community to help resolve social issues.

This exhibit features works from the collections of Matt Scheiner and Lisa Qualls, and is funded by grants from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.

Image: Primordial Couple, Wood, Encrustation, Dogon, Mali

Open Monday through Friday, 10-5 pm and Saturday, 12-5 pm, the O'Kane Gallery is located on the University of Houston-Downtown campus. Take Travis Street north through downtown Houston over Buffalo Bayou and right on Girard for visitor and metered parking.

For more information or images for press contact Brad Thomason at the O'Kane Gallery at 713-221-8042 or thomasonb@uhd.edu, or visit www.okanegallery.uhd.edu.