Role of Statues in the Artistic Commemoration of African Political Leaders: Analysis of 20 Selected National Statues in African Countries.
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Date
2021
Authors
Wango, Kamau
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
East African Nature and Science Organization
Abstract
Artistic commemoration of leaders and other iconic personalities has
been in existence for centuries. Statues in particular have been used as a
fitting avenue for the commemoration of political leaders and other
luminaries in many fields. The premise upon which statues are made is
that the subjects featured initiated and attained, in their lifetimes,
concrete achievements that significantly impacted upon the lives of their
fellow human beings. Other criteria for commemoration include proven
integrity, dedication and selflessness in the service of the country and
citizens. Statues as an integral part of public art have often generated
substantial controversy on various fronts in many countries. Some of
these gravitate around issues such as disputed likeness, queries about the
fundamental achievements cited of the subject, at times open protests on
the actions, character and integrity of the subject as well as the location
of the statues. Other areas of contention include the implication of the
presence of statues upon the political psyche of the country and their
long-time impact on history, the youth and posterity. This paper
examines the extent to which African countries have embraced this mode
of artistic rendition to commemorate African political leaders in a way
that is commensurate to their achievements. It is outside the scope of this
paper to delve into the intricate web of back-and-forth arguments about
the ‘concreteness’ of the legacies of the featured leaders who are mainly
founding political figures of the respective countries. The paper,
however, analyses the artistic essence of the selected statues in terms of
their visual impact and whether they are indeed useful in articulating the
legacies of the subjects and further, whether they ultimately bear
‘enduring visual value’ that spurs conversation and insight into these
legacies. Statues must, at the very least, spur debate and conversation
into the legacy of the featured subject. It becomes a form of constant interrogation as history itself takes its course; controversy is not
necessarily a negative occurrence since it forms part of this discourse.
The concept of immortalization, which is what initiators of statues often
hope for is much harder to achieve and difficult to define. The paper
examines 20 statues of African political leaders in different African
Countries.
Description
Article
Keywords
Role of Statues in the Artistic Commemoration of African Political Leaders: Analysis of 20 Selected National Statues in African Countries.
Citation
Wango, K. (2021). Role of Statues in the Artistic Commemoration of African Political Leaders: Analysis of 20 Selected National Statues in African Countries. East African Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 3(1), 40-77.