Women and arts: spiritual force and ancestral African wisdom

Abstract

This article proposes a conceptual approach to the relationship between women, the arts, and African cosmogonies, utilizing document review and a critical analysis of colonial debates and gender from a decolonial and feminist perspective. The starting point is the notion that art objects (such as statuary) play a fundamental role in the magical/religious beliefs and practices of African civilizations, such as the Kongo. The results indicate an understanding of the female life force in creation, fertility, and offspring, as well as of women as mediators of ancestral wisdom and spiritual blessing. Ultimately, this approach decolonizes gender and asserts the care, fertility, gestation, and understanding of the life-death-life cycle that female strength agency.