National Museum of African Art
Echoes of the Kalabari: Sculpture by Sokari Douglas Camp
November 11, 1988 – January 29, 1989
On view are 13 life-sized sculptures of masqueraders, drummers, and female audience figures—many of them motorized and audible—by the contemporary Nigerian artist. Camp, born in Buguma in the Kalabari region of southern Nigeria, creates sculptures of steel and wood, drawing her inspiration from Kalabari masquerades, festivals, and funeral celebrations.
Highlights of the exhibition include:
- A film shot by the artist features sights and sounds from the 1984 centenary celebration of Buguma; it will be shown twice hourly;
- A 20-foot-long regatta canoe with paddles that move back and forth over imaginary waves;
- A funeral bed, Church Ede, which serves as a memorial to the artist's deceased father, that features the fanning motions of females mourners.
- Camp, 29, studied in California and London, where she now resides.
This exhibition features works on loan from the British Arts Council.
Publication, Booklet
