<I>Sankofa II</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1997-1998
name: label: Created by
content: James Phillips, American, born 1945
label: Subject of
content: AfriCOBRA, founded 1968
notes: label: Caption
content: "For me, painting is an endless search for discovery, reflective thinking and invention based upon my ancestral heritage." - James Phillips
label: Caption
content: James Phillips established a unique contemporary aesthetic by incorporating and restructuring West African, Central African, and African diasporic symbols and concepts. In this painting, he engages the concept of Sankofa. Generated from Akan people of West Africa, Sankofa means "it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot."
label: Caption
content: One of the visual symbols of Sankofa is the heart, represented here in the center of the painting. In addition to several other Akan symbols (mostly derived from Adinkra cloth), Phillips included Yoruba (Shango’s double ax) and Haitian (the rooster) symbols. Together they represent themes relating to unity, struggle, and common values.
label: Description
content: An acrylic painting on canvas incorporating Adinkra symbols in colorful swirls and patterns. The primary colors incorporated in the design are base colors of tan, peach and sky blue, with symbols in maroon, green, light blue, yellow, white, orange and purple. Throughout the canvas, preparatory drawing lines and shapes are visible, possibly in charcoal or graphite. The painting is unstretched, with sleeves on both ends through which a dowel can be placed. The patterns and motifs used throughout the painting reflect the AfriCOBRA style or tradition. The canvas is signed by the artist at the lower left corner.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Africa
label: Topic
content: Art
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Visual Arts
label: Classification
content: Sacred and Ceremonial Objects
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2014.321
objectType: label: Type
content: acrylic paintings
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © James Phillips
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acrylic paint on canvas , thread
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 96 × 60 in. (243.8 × 152.4 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Diameter (Rolled): 29 1/8 in. (74 cm)