Last Friday I kept running into detours, which led me to Half Price Books, a relic of Berkeley...anyway I perused the aisles wondering why am I supposed to be here?(Im still thinking of what my body of work is supposed to speak through my culture and heritage)...so I ended up in the art/architecture book aisle and I stumbled upon this book, the book cover caught my attention, because I grew up with a miniature statue of a woman with this very same headress!!! I was floored and immediately bought the book...
The woman is Mangbetu from the Congo...
The Mangbetu are known for their highly developed art and music. One instrument associated with and named after them is the Mangbetu harp or guitar.
The Mangbetu stood out to European colonists because of their elongated heads. Traditionally, babies' heads were wrapped tightly with cloth in order to give them this distinctive appearance. The practice, called Lipombo, began dying out in the 1950s with the arrival of more Europeans and westernization. Because of this distinctive look, it is easy to recognize Mangbetu figures in African art.
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Stay tuned to my new found inspiration which will be expressed through my new peices!... peace ~
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