Exhibits

Exhibition Reception February 6, 5:30-8:00pm

Artist Presentation and Discussion: February 27, 6:00pm-7:30pm

This exhibition presents a transformational moment in the history of glass beads, arguably the most popular artistic medium in Africa. It details, with the use of expressive objects, videos and photographs, the process through which the indigenous traditions of beaded glassmaking transform from three-dimensional tubular shapes to flat geometric figural forms. 

Beads are some of the most ancient art forms in Africa, as archaeological excavations indicate. Fabricated from several materials including stones, seeds, bones and metals, bead have also been given faience treatments as glass ornaments as far back as thousands of years in ancient Egyptian art. In this exhibition, the artists focus exclusively on glass beads fused with colorful glazes using indigenous firing techniques in wood-fueled kilns. The environmental footprints of this kiln are substantial, motivating the artists to develop and experiment with a more environmentally accommodating gas-fueled technology for glass smelting, adapted from their indigenous techniques. To further extend the creative potentials of the glass beaded technology, this project also adapted the indigenous mold to build flat shaped chromatic beads designed exclusively for pictorial compositions constructed as wall hangings.