{"id":356871,"date":"2026-07-29T23:08:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T23:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/356871\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T23:08:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T23:08:28","slug":"innovation-meets-heritage-in-west-african-contemporary-artists-masquerade-ensembles-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/356871\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovation Meets Heritage in West African Contemporary Artists’ Masquerade Ensembles \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Across West Africa, Indigenous communities mark holidays, rites, and sacred events with a remarkable variety of ceremonies ranging from dances to processions. These masquerade traditions<\/a> incorporate meticulously carved masks and full-body costumes that often facilitate links between humans and the spiritual world. There\u2019s evidence of masked customs dating back millennia, and today, artists continue the tradition of hand-hewn masks and ensembles in vivid colors and a wide array of materials\u2014sometimes with a twist.<\/p>\n

The exhibition New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations, which opens at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg<\/a> next month, celebrates contemporary creations by four artists: Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa\u00a0(Nigeria),\u00a0David Sanou\u00a0(Burkina Faso),\u00a0Sheku \u201cGoldenfinger\u201d Fofanah\u00a0(Sierra Leone), and\u00a0Herv\u00e9 Youmbi\u00a0(Cameroon). Along with displays of some of their masks and full ensembles, visitors will be able to explore documentary photographs and videos of ceremonies and parades in addition to immersive multimedia experiences.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>Headpiece by Andr\u00e9 Sanou and body by anonymous artist, \u201cKimi\u201d masquerade ensemble in honor of Andr\u00e9 Sanou\u2019s \u2018Qui Dit Miuex?\u2019 (2022). Collection of Fitchburg Art Museum, photo courtesy of the New Orleans Museum of Art<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross many West African cultures, masquerade a broad range of artistic, social, spiritual, and civic traditions,\u201d the museum says. \u201cEncompassing sculpture, textiles, performance, music, movement, and community participation, these performance traditions continuously adapt to contemporary life.\u201d Sanou\u2019s geometric masks are bold and brightly painted, often paired with costumes made from colorfully dyed fiber. And one can even spot pop culture references in Youmbi\u2019s \u201cTso Scream Mask,\u201d for example, which coats the iconic visage from the Scream movie franchise with thousands of beads.<\/p>\n

New African Masquerades is conceived as a dynamic exploration of the masquerade tradition\u2019s collaborative and community-based practices, inviting viewers to a kind of reverie where time-honored heritage meets constant innovation. The show is organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art in partnership with the Muse\u00e9 des Civilisations noires in Dakar, Senegal. The exhibition opens on August 15 and continues through January 3, 2027, in St. Pete, Florida. Follow updates on the museum\u2019s Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"an<\/a>Herv\u00e9 Youmbi (Cameroon), \u201cTso Scream Mask\u201d from the \u2018Visage de masques (IX) series\u2019 (2015-2023), wood, pigment, fiber, beads, textile, glue, velvet fabric, cotton fabric, silk embroidery, and horse hair. Collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art<\/p>\n

\"an<\/a>Herv\u00e9 Youmbi, \u201cTso Scream Mask\u201d and \u201cTso Scream Leopard Mask\u201d at the Nka\u2019a Kossi\u00e9 society succession ceremony at Fondanti Chieftancy (December 3, 2022). Photo by Herv\u00e9 Youmbi, courtesy of the artist and Axis Gallery, New York and New Jersey<\/p>\n

\"an<\/a>Sheku \u201cGoldenfinger\u201d Fofanah (Sierra Leone), \u201cFairy Masquerade Ensemble\u201d (2022), fabric, sequins, wood, paint, and glue, life-size. Commission for the Fitchburg Art Museum, photo courtesy of the New Orleans Museum of Art<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/a>Herv\u00e9 Youmbi, \u201cBamil\u00e9k\u00e9-Kwele Ku\u2019ngang Gorilla Mask\u201d and \u201cSingle-faced Rhino Mask\u201d during a ceremony in Fondanti village (2019). Photo by Herv\u00e9 Youmbi, courtesy of the artist and Axis Gallery, New York and New Jersey<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>Headpieces by David Sanou, studio of Andr\u00e9 Sanou, \u201cKimi\u201d masks during a performance of greetings with the lead griot Tchiedo playing his drum behind them (May 3, 2022), Bindougosso district, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Photo by Lisa Homann<\/p>\n

\"an<\/a>Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa (Nigeria), \u201cAfia Awan Masquerade Ensemble\u201d (2022), polyester fabric, raffia, and leather, life-size. Collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art<\/p>\n

\"an<\/a>Sheky \u201cGoldenfinger\u201d Fofanah parading with his Mami Wata devil during the Massaboni Ordehlay procession (December 26, 2022), Lunsar, Sierra Leone. Photo by Amanda M. Maples<\/p>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n

Hide advertising<\/p>\n

Save your favorite articles<\/p>\n

Get 15% off in the Colossal Shop<\/a><\/p>\n

Receive members-only newsletter<\/p>\n

Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/p>\n

\t