Adorn Me
YEAR: 2019
ARTIST: Tanda Francis
MATERIALS: Concrete & Steel
More of her work can be found on Instagram @tandafrancis
Adorn Me is a piece which speaks directly to the merging of cultures through incorporation of contrasting elements of adornment. It seeks to address the demographic of people of African descent who are often underrepresented in public art.
Adorn Me takes from the traditions of African heads and victorian/colonial ornamentation, inspired by the Ife sculptures of Benin from the 13th Century, the Ife Heads were used to represent spiritual or royal figures during ritualistic and spiritual ceremonies. The particular feature of many Ife sculptures is their representation of scarification, hence the deep marks through the face.