Standing male figure 1900 - 1925

This 'Standing male figure' was carved in an unknown year by an anonymous Yoruba artist. The color is subtle here, and yet it’s also saying something, this warm brown that's been built up, layer by layer. It's almost like the artist is coaxing the figure out of the wood, letting the material itself guide the way. Look at how the texture shifts across the surface, from the smoother planes of the chest to the more articulated details of the face and the interesting blue conical hat. There's a real sense of touch in every mark, a kind of responsiveness to the material. See how the figure holds his hands together, there’s a real sense of something internal going on here, a kind of quiet confidence or contemplation. It reminds me a little of some of the early Cycladic figures, this sense of pared-down form and essential presence. Ultimately, it’s a piece that invites slow looking, a kind of visual meditation on form, material, and the human condition.