Figure c. 1920

This wooden figure was carved by a member of the Ibibio people. I can almost feel the artist’s hands working with the material. The figure is dark, almost black, with incredible details like the carefully carved teeth and the bulbous, cartoonish quality of the eyes. He’s wearing a suit-like jacket, which seems funny and poignant. I wonder what the carver was thinking as they chipped away at the wood, figuring out the form. The texture is rough, so the artist wasn’t trying to hide the fact that it’s a piece of wood. I can imagine the artist considering how to represent a figure, maybe someone they knew, giving him these big, expressive eyes, a slightly goofy beard, and that sturdy helmet. I love that mix of careful observation and creative exaggeration. Artists have always been in conversation with each other, across time and cultures, borrowing and building on ideas. This figure, with its quirky charm and inventive details, feels like a part of that ongoing exchange.