"I am a European, a brown European. I was born here. I actually do not know what is supposed to be African about me. I feel honoured if someone sees cultural aspects in me that are African. But they cannot talk about my art as African Art. No way. [...] But their world would not be in order if they could not put me into a category." - Alero Boyo, as quoted by Yvette Mutumba in her article in Little Book of Big Visions, How to be an Artist and Revolutionize the World.
All humans, regardless of geographic location, are taught from an early age about difference and categorization. This learning is not only about race and ethnicity but underpins the very basic orientation of space and the objects around us. We build on difference and categorization to form an understanding of our environments and, from this perspective, use binaries as supportive structures. The process of learning to differentiate objects and concepts, such as a square from a circle, a chair from a cup, the direction up versus down - is imparted as basic knowledge intended to build a sense of stability as we move through our lives. These basic tenets are what we can trust if all else shifts around us. Understanding how to conceptualize differences and categorizations is critical to functioning – at times, surviving – in environments built upon these concepts.
A shape sorter ball is a great example of a vehicle for communicating difference and categorization at an early age. It is toy typically given to Westernized children between the ages of 1 and 2 years. It is used to evaluate hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. The child’s ability to sort the shapes is evidence of a developmental milestone and is the first of many tests children encounter as they learn to communicate and build cognitive skills. It is through learning experiences such as this and many, many others that a person learns of difference and is rewarded – via validation of ability, coordination, and skill. While the shape sorter ball will fade into the bottom of a toy chest after a while, the child will carry on this “shape sorter” way of thinking.
Once one's identity - or the identities of a group of peoples - is categorized and shaped by dominant narratives, this identity is more easily consumable. Eventually, as we try to fit the multiplicity of human identities into the mental sorters we’ve had ingrained, the task of maintaining and supporting structures of difference and categorization becomes a challenge. As Boyo alludes via her quote above, how is it possible to be German and of color, to be of color and an artist, and finally, an artist of color and to not produce ‘African Art’? Specifically the style of "African Art" which fits dominant narratives reproduced over and over again.
To delve into the poignant points that Boyo raises, we must understand how these categories were constructed and more importantly – why.
The focus of this blog series will be primarily on the “why”.
- The Boomerang Consumer
