Exhibitions: The Arts of Africa

Magdalene Odundo was born in Kenya, raised in India, and educated in England and Kenya. Like many African artists today, she is influenced by both African and non-African traditions. This pot, produced in Farnham, England, was made using traditional African techniques: hand-built coils, burnished both before and after applying slip, and fired using a wood-chip, reduced-oxygen process that produces the smoky black surface. However, the pot's style is thoroughly modern, designed exclusively for display as a work of art, with no utilitarian or ceremonial function attached.