It is often said that history is written by the "winners" and this may very well explain why for centuries, most art seen in museums and galleries show a depiction of Africa and Africans as seen through the lenses of white artists. I have often wondered what in the world an African thought of when he first encountered a white person. Well, some of my wondering ends with the current Through African Eyes exhibit currently going on at the Detroit Institute of Arts. While small in size - less than 100 pieces - Ghanian-born curator Nii Quarcoopome has pulled together a collection that provides a glimpse how Africans from Nigeria, Mozambique, Congo and more saw white Europeans as depicted through their art. Pieces are gathered from as early as the 1400s through today so you can only imagine the complex history between whites and blacks and how that is depicted from country to country!
How this exhibit has yet to reach me on the east coast is definitely beyond me, but what an amazing treat for the people of Detroit and Kansas (starting in September)!
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