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National Museum of African Art and Smithsonian Libraries Unveil “Artists’ Books and Africa” - 16 Sept 2015 - 11 Sept 2016



The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art and the Smithsonian Libraries present a new exhibition, “Artists’ Books and Africa,” at the National Museum of African Art beginning Sept. 16. “Artists’ Books and Africa” will be on display through Sept. 11, 2016.

“The artistry of these books lies in their physical formats,” said Janet Stanley, librarian at the Warren M. Robbins Library of the National Museum of African Art. “‘Artists’ Books and Africa’ introduces a genre new to African art, but well established internationally—the artist’s book. On view are not only artists’ books by African artists, but also by international artists who choose African subjects. The books encompass everything from poetry, folk literature and personal stories to socio-political commentaries and historical encounters on the continent.”

“Artists’ Books and Africa” showcases fine art books as well as those employing multiple formats, materials and techniques. Through the artists’ books, the exhibition explores African history and cultures by embodying collective memory and reclaiming cultural heritage and storytelling. Visitors will see several kinds of artist books, including folios, accordion folds and gatefolds.

“Artists’ Books in Africa” features Willow Legge’s An African Folktale (Guildford: 1979), Peggy Buth’s Desire in Representation (Maastricht: 2008), Otobong Edet Nkanga’s No Be Today Story O! (Amsterdam: 2010), as well as works by Mark Attwood (and others at The Artists' Press), Malcolm Payne, Pippa Skotnes, Wilma Stockenström and Judith Mason, Robbin Ami Silverberg and Kim Berman, Peter Clarke, Keith Dietrich, Luan Nel and Daniel Halter.

The 25 books displayed in “Artists’ Books and Africa” are from the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Libraries’ Warren M. Robbins Library and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art.

Note: Selected images from “Artists’ Books and Africa” may be downloaded by visiting the museum’s media website and clicking on “press room.” For further information about the exhibition, visit the official “Artists’ Books and Africa” website.


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