An intimate reflection on culture and tradition, creativity and power, that draws on a lifetime\'s commitment to aesthetic encounterThe playwright, poet, essayist, novelist, and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka is also a longtime art collector.
He urges African artists, filmmakers, collectors, and curators to engage with their aesthetic and cultural histories..
By turns poetic, provocative, and humorous, Soyinka affirms the power of collecting to reclaim tradition.
Soyinka considers objects that have stirred controversy, and he decries dogmatic efforts-whether colonial or religious-to suppress Africa\'s artistic traditions.
Detailing moments of first encounter with objects that drew him in and continue to affect him, Soyinka describes a world of mortals, muses, and deities that imbue the artworks with history and meaning.
Beyond Aesthetics is a passionate discussion of the role of identity, tradition, and originality in making, collecting, and exhibiting African art today.
This book of essays offers a glimpse into the motivations of the collector, as well as a highly personal look at the politics of Aesthetics and collecting.
An intimate reflection on culture and tradition, creativity and power, that draws on a lifetime\'s commitment to aesthetic encounterThe playwright, poet, essayist, novelist, and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka is also a longtime art collector
