1960s: Decolonization, Nationalism, and Artistic Modernism
The 1960s were a pivotal turning point in African history, politically, socially, and culturally. With an interest in independence spreading throughout the African continent, colonial rule gradually diminished. In reponse to such political and cultural changes, countries began to contemplate how best to visually communicate their unique national identity. In Senegal, for example, the first Sengalese president, Leopold Sédar Senghor, used his idea of negritude to develop a national identity that united ten million Africans and celebrated their African roots. He also established the École de Dakar, a school that facilitated the production of artwork that adhered to his ideology of negritude. Not everyone shared the same vision for a national identity, however, and many Africans developed movements that challenged Senghor's idea of negritude, such as the AGIT Art Movement. With this new independence and freedom also came several periods of turmoil and unrest. In 1967, the Biafran war broke out, forcing many Africans to flee their homes and relocate. These periods of independence, celebration, transformation, and strife were highly influential on the art produced by local artistis.
Artists and Influential Individuals of the 1960s
Leopold Sédar Senghor
Iba N'Daiye
Papa Ibra Tall
Mor Faye
El Hadji Sy
Issa Samb
Skunder Boghassian
Adebisi Akanji
Nina Fabunmi
Ibrahim El Salahi
Ben Enwonwu