If you admire African art, there is no reason you have to fit into a special ethnic group to display it in your home and enjoy it.  African art is made for both Africans, African descendants, and non-Africans to enjoy.  You do, however need to find a way to make it fit into your overall design style without overwhelming it.  Here are some things you should consider when purchasing African art for your non-ethnic home.

Make sure it fits into your overall design scheme.  Look at the colors and tones of the artwork and make sure it coordinates with other décor in your home.  This Taho African Trio Contemporary 3pc Metal Wall Sculpture for example, would go great with neutral colors, leather furniture and dark wood floors.  If you have other artwork in your home with these kinds of colors and tones, this item will not seem out of place.

Do not get carried away.  Your home décor may seem out of place with your personality if all of your art and décor are African American in nature.  While an African theme is perfectly acceptable, in one room only, or in subtle way, if people who enter your home assume someone from Africa lives there, you may have gone over board.

Balance it out.  Just as having too much African Art in your home, can seem a bit overwhelming, having only one-piece can be a bit underwhelming.  For example, if you are going to have the piece of art pictured in this article, you may also want to purchase a few woodcarvings, and African drum or an African Map. At the very least purchase three dimensional wall art  with the same tones and feel as the African Art. 

The Wall art  featured above is a three piece set that when combined is 42” high X 54” wide.  It is about 1 ½ inches thick and is made of rootbeer (metal), silver, an bronze.  Since it is a heavy cumbersome piece, it comes with its own hinging hardware.  It comes with a 1 year warranty and weighs 28 pounds. 

• November 2007