Indigenous expertise: African women’s artistry connecting across time and space

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article examines the indigenous technologies of women artists in the rural communities of northeastern Ghana and southeastern Burkina Faso, who paint the earthen walls of their homes using pigments derived from the local environment. Much has been written about the artistic ingenuity of fresco painters in the Italian Renaissance. Less scholarly attention has been given to the skills of rural women artists in West Africa, who also use fresco-like techniques to plaster and paint the walls of their homes. Wall paintings are partly functional: they protect the household walls from harsh winds and rains. They have important social functions as well: through their paintings, women announce to onlookers that they are skilled artists who respect themselves and take pride in their culture. These processes are collaborative, involving all of the women from the household and neighbourhood; they are therefore key to the formation and maintenance of women’s relationships. This discussion highlights women as expert artists, detailing the technical processes of plastering and painting as well as their historical development through the collaborative efforts of women working across generations and communities.