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INSPIRATION AFRICA!
Project 1
Kemnal Technology College
WORKSHOP DAY 2


Talk on nkisi power figure at the African Worlds exhibition

Year 9 visited the African Worlds exhibition at the Horniman Museum on a Tuesday afternoon. Situated by their selected key object (below), the visit started with a talk/discussion on the nkisi power figure by the Education Department and project artists.

The minkisi (plural of nkisi). are made by the Kongo people of central Africa and their power comes from magical substances stored inside their bodies and heads which activate the power figure (read more background information).

Nkisi power figure at the African Worlds exhibition

The pupils were given worksheets and were asked to look at the figures and write down their uncensored feelings about the objects. The words:

 scary... strange... powerful... daunting... mad... ancient... strong... supernatural... weird... staring...

were repeated on the worksheets and fed back by the pupils.
Kemnal at the Horniman Museum Kemnal at the Horniman Museum Kemnal at the Horniman Museum

They then were asked to find an object, or part of an object, inside the exhibition that represented power to them, to draw and then describe it in their own personal way.
Drawing by pupil at Kemnal Technology CollegeDrawing by pupil at Kemnal Technology College

Meeting at the end of the session, their work was discussed and some of the pupils read their descriptions whilst the remainder tried to guess which object they were describing.

Kemnal pupil at the Horniman Museum

"I am a mask. I am made out of wood. Tribesmen cut me out from the base of a tree. They cut me into a shape which they worship every year at night. I am tall. A King or a Queen would wear me".

"I am a figure of peace. I am asleep but I am still powerful. I send messages to you. I am two different people that are totally opposite but are friends and joined into one."

 Kemnal pupil at the Horniman Museum

Finally, linking back to the nkisi power figure, the pupils were asked to try and think of something they owned, or a memory, that was particularly precious to them - possibly a secret - and to bring it to the following workshop. Later they would write personal poems about these objects or memories that would be used to empower and activate their screen printed artwork - the power banner/book - in a similar way that magical substances activated the nkisi power figure.

Text-only
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