African Cosmos: Stellar Arts

African Cosmos: Stellar Arts is the first major exhibition to explore the historical legacy of African cultural astronomy and its intersection with traditional and contemporary African arts. Celestial phenomena have inspired African artists for thousands of years. Documented since the kingdoms of ancient Egypt, Africans throughout the continent have contemplated the celestial firmament and conceived stories about the heavenly bodies. People of many cultures have used such observations to navigate their physical environments and to regulate agricultural and ritual calendars. 

Image credits: 

Gavin Jantjes, Untitled, 1989–1990, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, Photograph by Franko Khoury

Female figures (ere ibeji), Yoruba peoples, Nigeria, Early to mid-20th century, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, museum purchase, Photograph by Franko Khoury

Staff (ògó Èsù-Elégba), Yoruba peoples, Nigeria, Mid-20th century, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Merton Simpson, Photograph by Franko Khoury

Female figure, Dogon peoples, Mali, 19th to early 20th century, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, Photograph by Franko Khoury