Contemporary African literature written by women often infuses traditional art forms as a means of preserving memory and retelling history from a feminine perspective. While men can certainly infuse art forms into their literary works as well, women consistently have a specific purpose — to reclaim art forms that were once exclusively theirs or to explore on their own terms an art form from which they had been traditionally excluded. For example, the art of wusulan (fragrance making) in Mali was once an art form dominated by women. However, the art form’s importance was diminished historically thru the introduction of European fragrances in the 19th century and the once revered female artisans lost some of the power the art form had brought them. Wusulan eventually made a comeback, but when it did, it was no longer exclusively produced by women. Malian writer Adame Ba Konare puts wusulan at the center of her work, Quand l’ail se frotte a l’encens, to recall wusulan’s past glory but also to show how the art form’s rocky history parallels the ups and downs of Malian society. This interdisciplinary panel seeks examples of writings that highlight traditional arts and therefore welcomes literature scholars as well as those exploring arts such as music, textiles, sculpture, painting, photography, etc.
Please send abstracts by email to catoman@ua.edu no later than March 12.
Traditional Arts in Contemporary African Literature by Women
