Tanda Francis Sculptures inspired by “Ife” sculptures of the Benin Kingdom

African American Tanda Francis Sculpt was inspired by “Ife” sculptures of the Benin Kingdom. Her mind-blowing Sculptures has proven her to be an incredible talent.

Creativity & Innovation has been part of the African Culture For Centuries.
From the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Nubia and Sudan to the art from the Oyo Empire (Yoruba Empire) responsible for one of the finest artistic traditions in Africa, a tradition that remains vital and influential today, and the Kingdom of Benin (Edo Empire) known for its complex sculptures primarily made of cast bronze and carved ivory and coral.

Tanda Francis has been greatly inspired by the “Ife” sculptures of the Benin Kingdom in Nigeria. She stated “I was very inspired by the Ife sculptures of Benin from the 13th century. They have an undeniable beauty as well as a spiritual story from the Yoruba people who believe that Ife is the place where life and civilization began.

The Ife heads which were all slightly smaller than life-sized were used to represent a spiritual or royal figure during ritualistic and spiritual ceremonies postmortem”.

The innate value of sculptures in Africa is intended to reflect the earthly and otherworldly influence of the King (Oba, Pharoah, Oduduwa, Emperor e.t.c) and the great wealth of his kingdom. Despite the trauma through slavery and the subsequent colonization of Africans across the continent, Africans have retained a part of this past knowledge and traditions after thousands of years and carried their ancestral wisdom along.

See also: Tamara Natalie Madden The Incredible Artist

Tanda has emulated a part of this creative culture and ancestral wisdom and abilities to produce these amazing sculptures.

The African royal art such as the Benin royal arts belong to a tradition that favors convention even as it promotes creativity and innovation, especially as a reflection of royal prerogative. For thousands of years, African kings and Queens have used the arts to interpret the history of the kingdom and to orient themselves with the past in an effort to support their own initiatives and define their images for posterity.

The royal arts of the Benin Kingdom affirms the centrality of the oba, or divine king, portraying his divine nature. While recording the kingdom’s significant historical events and the oba’s involvement with them, they also initiate the oba’s interactions with the supernatural and honor his deified ancestors, forging a continuity that is vital to the kingdom’s well-being.

Tanda Francis also expresses how grateful she is for the team’s dedication to seeing her “Adorn Me Sculpture” shine at the Fort Greene Park despite constant torrential rainfall.

She produces her work at Socrates park located at New York City’s preeminent sculpture park based in Long Island City, Queens. Artists are able to convert a section of the Park into an open-air studio.

Her “Adorn Me Sculpture” was installed in the beautiful Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, New York City but granted permitted of a maximum of one year on display at NYC parks until the sculptures are purchased.

“With every step, I had to respond to the elements – heatwaves vs. clay, stormy days vs. plaster… With the situation thoroughly embraced, I was able to build, patch, live and learn to build some more”.

The Charles Evans Innis Memorial Library at Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, United States has an exhibition of Tanda Francis sculpture. When you walk into the library the first thing you will notice is the inspiring sculpture of famous African American rapper late Biggie.