August 28 – December 19, 2026

“This exhibition and essay explore how, what, and why African works of art . . . work: how they move and affect us; what roles they perform; and the ways they may acquire different purposes, meanings, and values as they travel across oceans and cultural, political, and religious boundaries over time and space,” writes guest curator and scholar of African and African diaspora arts  Henry John Drewal. 

The ancient, classical arts of Africa embody deeply-rooted beliefs and practices about the visible, tangible world and the invisible, immaterial otherworld of spiritual entities – ancestors, goddesses, gods, and spirits. African artists imagine and create works to represent both worldly and otherworldly subjects – providing material objects to inspire and shape society, and deepen devotional practice. With over 20 works from the Haggerty Museum’s collection, this exhibition presents an array of arts addressing worldly and otherworldly matters, as well as forms – primarily masks and divination tools – that serve to bridge the liminal space between worldly and otherworldly realms. Some of the objects in the exhibition are classical works, defined as “traditional in style and form, based on methods developed over a long period of time, and considered to be of lasting value.” They have age and a history of use in Africa. Others have been made by neoclassical African artists of the late 20^th and 21^st centuries for both local and global audiences. Whether classical or neoclassical, these artists embody and display the refined skills and inventive creativity acquired during lengthy, rigorous apprenticeships that have always been the foundation for Africa’s dynamic artistic traditions, past and present.

African Art: Ancient Roots, Enduring Values was curated by Henry John Drewal, art historian specializing in the arts of the Yorùbá-speaking peoples of West Africa and the African Diaspora.

Support for this exhibition is generously provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.