Sub-Saharan Central Africa is a vibrant and diverse land. Its typography ranges from lush rainforest to vast tropical grassland, breathtaking equatorial snow-capped mountains, and expansive lakes. The artistic traditions of Central Africa reflect this environmental richness and diversity.

To navigate through this varied geographic environment and social landscape, we have divided Central Africa into six zones––West Central Africa, Zandeland, Deep Central Africa, Kuba, Luba, and the Great Lakes Region.

Presenting nearly 200 Central African artworks and aided by new media, this exhibition is a journey into the forgotten world of Central African arts. The objects date mainly from 19th to early 20th century, a period when most communities still maintained their independence, cultural identity, and artistic traditions. Embedded within these societies’ social fabric and ritual life, the exhibited pieces were not merely beautiful objects, but also possessed a clear function. That the greatest artistic attention was lavished on sculptures, masks, or weapons––the three treasures of Central African art––reflects their dominant roles in society.

The spiritual realm was a primary source of knowledge. Ancestors provided guidance at times of need, and oracles were regularly consulted ahead of important undertakings. Maintaining connection with ancestors was critical and an established means of doing so was through ritual sculptures.

Masks served as intermediaries between the invisible world––of spirits and abstract ideals––and the world of the living; indeed, masked performances played a crucial role in significant life stages, such as birth, transition into adulthood, and death, while providing education, protection, warning, and entertainment to the community.

Prestige weapons were the ultimate tools of social action, embodying sacred authority passed down from ancestors while enforcing political rule and maintaining social cohesion. Beyond the physical realm, weapons were also vital carriers of symbolic meaning, signifying authority and power, wealth and prestige, and political legitimacy.

Taken together, the sculptures, masks, and weapons represent the three key channels through which individuals and communities could connect with invisible, spiritual forces, the objects acting as mediums between worlds, and effecting change in the lived-in reality through social and symbolic actions. These objects have the power to invoke the collective memories of Central Africa and reveal to us the rich artistic legacy of these diverse cultures.