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John Goba, (b. Sierra Leone, 1944) Oil on wood; porcupine quills 157 x 160 x 110cm (61.8 x 63 x 43.
John Goba, (b. Sierra Leone, 1944) Oil on wood; porcupine quills 157 x 160 x 110cm (61.8 x 63 x 43.3in)
John Goba was born 1944, he lives and works in Freetown, Sierra Leone. At the age of thirty, Goba had a revelatory experience that led him to create Ode-lay masks for initiation rituals and masquerades and extraordinary costumes for these secret societies.
Whilst Goba`s sculptures are heavily influenced by the artistic traditions of his Mende people, his unique and highly idiosyncratic practice is contemporary rather than traditional and continuously evolving. Goba`s innovative and dazzling use of porcupine quills can be seen as a defence mechanism preventing viewers from getting too close to the works and discerning a meaning known only to the artist.
His fascination with the sacred virtues of secrecy is an important element of his work and stands in contrast to the current vogue for artists explaining their work in detail or to the work of, for example, the Congolese artists Chéri Samba, Chéri Cherin and others for whom from transparency and legibility of message are paramount.
Biography:
Goba`s work has featured in numerous group exhibitions, including; Out of Africa, Saatchi Collection, London, UK (1992), both the Lyon (2000) and Venice (2001) Biennales and African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection, Museum of Fine Art Houston, USA (2005). Click here to view Catalogue
John Goba, (b. Sierra Leone, 1944) Oil on wood; porcupine quills 157 x 160 x 110cm (61.8 x 63 x 43.3in)
John Goba was born 1944, he lives and works in Freetown, Sierra Leone. At the age of thirty, Goba had a revelatory experience that led him to create Ode-lay masks for initiation rituals and masquerades and extraordinary costumes for these secret societies.
Whilst Goba`s sculptures are heavily influenced by the artistic traditions of his Mende people, his unique and highly idiosyncratic practice is contemporary rather than traditional and continuously evolving. Goba`s innovative and dazzling use of porcupine quills can be seen as a defence mechanism preventing viewers from getting too close to the works and discerning a meaning known only to the artist.
His fascination with the sacred virtues of secrecy is an important element of his work and stands in contrast to the current vogue for artists explaining their work in detail or to the work of, for example, the Congolese artists Chéri Samba, Chéri Cherin and others for whom from transparency and legibility of message are paramount.
Biography:
Goba`s work has featured in numerous group exhibitions, including; Out of Africa, Saatchi Collection, London, UK (1992), both the Lyon (2000) and Venice (2001) Biennales and African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection, Museum of Fine Art Houston, USA (2005). Click here to view Catalogue
The African Art Auction: Contemporary and Modern Art from Africa and its Diaspora
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Contemporary and Modern Art from Africa and its Diaspora
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