Analysis of the African Art “Maternity Figure”

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Analysis of the “Maternity Figure”
Art plays an essential role in the society and can take various forms including sculptures, painting, music and dance. Art impacts society by instilling knowledge and values, changing people’s opinions and transferring experiences across time and space. This paper focuses on African art called the “Maternity Figure” made by the Zigua people of Tanzania. Visual arts tend to reflect the norms and culture of the people that own them. Maternity Figure depicts the concept of motherhood and the role of mothers in society particularly in taking care of children and young people.
The art has a strong visual effect on the viewer and is likely to inform them that figure is African. A look at the art immediately tells one that it is the figure of a woman and probably a mother because she has a baby on her back. The figure is poorly curved but the artist remained keen on important features such as the head, breasts, navel, legs and the baby carried by its mother, facial features and the ears. Maternity Figure is significantly balanced but has a bigger head that is not proportional to the body. The piece conveys the importance of female figures in society due to the prominence of the head. The ear is also larger than normal depicting the listening skills that mothers have especially for their infants.
The breast is highlighted to ensure that the audience knows that the figure is a woman immediately after they stare at the art. The breasts are not covered to highlight the importance/effect of maternity. Breast enables mothers to feed infants in their early days when they are steel too to eat or drink. The rest of the woman’s body is also not covered to help individuals appreciate the female, especially after childbirth. The major tension on the impact of motherhood and maternity female body is conveyed not only through the breasts but also a large belly and a protruding navel. Motherhood is also a symbol of love as illustrated by the art. The mother is nursing her child carefully. Carrying the child on her back strengthens the bond between the mother and the infant.
Infancy is an integral part of motherhood and this effect has been effectively depicted in the art through the infant clinging to its mother’s back. I...