Briefcase

Artists in several African countries have appropriated and reinvented the iconic form of the stylish, slim briefcase. Made from discarded sheets of aluminum soda cans and mass-produced grocery containers and then lined with comics, these briefcases are fun, eye-catching and ironic. Crafted from discarded materials rather than leather and fine cloth, the use of industrial goods reinforces the message contained in these symbols of modernization.

Red recycled metal (tomato paste cans) briefcase lined with comics

Pavilion: A New Look, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 9, 2019–ongoing

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