The Concept of Ori in the Traditional Yoruba Visual Representation of Human Figures

Abstract

Traditional African artists, as prominent members of their communities interpret their people’s thoughts and conventions through their expressive forms: hence their interpretations of nature rather than its imitation in their works. This phenomenon may account for the deliberate distortion of forms particularly noticeable in the traditional African sculptures. These forms of distortion vary from society to society, as do the philosophies or beliefs they attempt to interpret. Among traditional Yoruba artists, the disproportionately large visual representation of the head in human figures is a common feature in their sculptures and understanding this distortion requires a focus of attention on the indigenous beliefs and philosophical concepts of the Yoruba people, which give meaning to such representation. The purpose of this paper is therefore to identify and use appropriate oral traditions in unveiling the mystery surrounding the Yoruba sculptors’ deliberate disproportionate visual representation of the head –Ori – in human images.