REBUKING THE WRONGDOER AND EXTOLLING THE PRAISEWORTHY: INTORROGATING PROTEST ART IN AFRICA

Abstract

African artists, since the pre-colonial era, have used Protest art as a means of propagating political education and appropriate political and socio-economic culture. Unfortunately, this aspect of art engagement has not received the scholarly attention it deserves in the African art-historical discourse. The significance of Protest art can never be over- emphasized in Africa; a continent where there is an apparent lack of patriotism amongst the citizenry because of the disconnect between power and responsibility. Power in African States, rather than being a means of empowerment is being applied as an instrument of domination. This study employs a qualitative and an art – historical research methods. Selected works of some African arts, which portrayed moments of protest from the colonial period to the present day were examined and used as examples. It was observed that thematically, most of the protest art produced during the colonial period are based on nationalism and political emancipation, while themes that boarder on social Justice and good governance dominate the post-colonial protest art in Nigeria. The artists selected for this study have no doubt used their works as creative responses to the various socio-Economic and Political problems that be devil their society.