Hemba statue, Dominican Republic of the Congo, c. 1960

The Hemba are a people with a sculptural tradition devoted primarily to the representation of male ancestors. Hemba sculptures include Singiti male ancestor figures and two types of masks. Although each figure is a portrait of a specific person, the artist depicts generalized, not particular, individual traits, expressing balance, symmetry and refinement. Sculptural beauty reveals the highest moral qualities. The Hemba have serenely closed eyes and a rounded face, reflecting the ancestor's inner calm. Height: 92 cm Reproduced: Catalogue “Africa Babel: the Art of a Continent”, p.- 112 left
 
Exhibitions:
2022-2024 Island of Fuerteventura “Art Africa: Ancestral Light”. Lighthouse of the Entallada. Cabildo of Fuerteventura.
2021-2022 Panama City. Government of Panama. “Art Africa: the spirit of the ancestors”. Ministry of Culture Headquarters. Casco Viejo.
2019-2020 Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Caja Canarias Foundation. “Africa-Babel: the art of a Continent”. Headquarters Plaza Patriotismo.
2013-2015 Museum of Art of Africa and Oceania (Madao). La Granja de San Ildefonso, Segovia.
2005 “Black Africa”, Leather Museum.
2004 “Black Africa”. Caixa Laietana Foundation, Barcelona. Main exhibition hall