Aesthetic Similarities in Native American Totems and African Ritual Sculptures
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This research explores the aesthetic parallels between Native American totemic carvings and African ritual sculptures, emphasizing their shared approaches to form, symbolism, and cultural function. Although rooted in distinct geographic and cultural contexts, both traditions exhibit a stylized representation of the human figure and spiritual motifs. Through abstraction, each transforms physical materials into symbolic expressions of the sacred, conveying metaphysical concepts. Native American totem poles often feature vertically arranged figures that embody ancestral spirits and mythological entities, while African sculptures typically depict deities or ancestors using exaggerated and symbolic forms. These artistic strategies transcend decoration, serving as manifestations of communal identity, spiritual devotion, and cosmological insight. By conducting comparative visual and cultural analysis, this study reveals how both traditions utilize art to bridge the material and spiritual realms. Despite their cultural differences, the aesthetic choices reflect a universal human drive to represent the sacred and preserve cultural narratives through visual storytelling.
Author: Austine Emifoniye PhD,
Institution: Pratt Institute
Language: English
Subfield: General Arts and Humanities
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7083626596
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