The arts and material culture of the African continent constitute one of the most diverse and innovative artistic legacies on the planet. Though many casual observers tend to generalize "traditional" African art, the continent is actually full of a multitude of peoples, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual culture.

Despite this diversity, there are some unifying artistic themes when considering the totality of visual culture from the continent of Africa.^[1]

Utilitarianism in African Art:

An overarching characteristic of tradtional African art is that it is utilitarian. It is more than ornamental; it is intended to be used. Everyday items such as hair combs, bowls, knives, stools and textiles are objects of art, often adorned with representations of human, animal and supernatural forms, ancestral figures, geometric patterns, cowrie shells, spiritual symbols, raffia and vibrant colors.

African Societies Encourage Formal Innovation

Unlike Western societies, where artworks tend to be produced according to strict canons of representation, many African societies encourage innovation and creativity of both style and form among their artists. This innovation and diversity can be seen not only across long expanses of time and geography, but also in nearby cities and towns.

Visual Abstraction is favored in African Artwork 

African artworks tend to favor visual abstraction over naturalistic representation. This is because many African artworks, regardless of medium, tend to represent objects or ideas rather than depict them. Even the so-called portrait heads of Ile-Ife in modern day Nigeria, usually thought of as naturalistic representations of rulers, have actually been smoothed and simplified in an effort to abstract and generalize stylistic norms.  Ancient Egyptian art, also usually thought of as naturalistically depictive, makes use of highly abstracted and regimented visual canons, especially in painting, as well as the use of different colors to represent the qualities and characteristics of an individual being depicted.

Sculpture is a Popular Art Form with African Artists

African artists tend to favor three-dimensional artworks over two-dimensional works. Even many African paintings or cloth works were meant to be experienced three-dimensionally. House paintings are often seen as a continuous design wrapped around a house, forcing the viewer to walk around the work to experience it fully; while decorated cloths are worn as decorative or ceremonial garments, transforming the wearer into a living sculpture.

African Art is Often Included in Performance Art

An extension of the utilitarianism and three-dimensionality of traditional African art is the fact that much of it is crafted for use in performance contexts, rather than in static ones. For example, masks and costumes very often are used in communal, ceremonial contexts, where they are "danced." Most societies in Africa have names for their masks, but this single name incorporates not only the sculpture, but also the meanings of the mask, the dance associated with it, and the spirits that reside within. In African thought, the three cannot be differentiated.

Multiplicity of Meaning is Incorporated into African Artwork 

Symbols and forms in African art are typically intended to represent different things to different members of society, depending on age, gender, education, or social status. This is in contrast to "Western" Christian iconographic traditions where a symbol is typically linked with only one meaning (for example the cross as a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.)