Dr. Boureima Diamitani and Dr. Samuel Nortey will explore the historical, political, educational, and gendered dimensions surrounding ceramic pottery in West Africa today. Diamitani’s research addresses challenges around the (mis-)representation, production, and restitution of pottery among Senufo communities in Burkina Faso, while Nortey’s work examines ceramics as an agent of community cohesion, social inclusion, and cultural heritage preservation in Ghana. Together, the presentations and related conversation aim to highlight the vitality and contemporary relevance of West African ceramics in the world today, and to consider global futures for this artistic tradition from the continent.

Dr. Cory Gundlach, curator of African art, will moderate a discussion with the speakers after their presentations.

This talk is funded in part by the Eskin Ceramics Art Initiative.

About the speakers

Dr. Boureima Diamitani is a museum professional with over 25 years of experience in West Africa. Well-versed in the arts and cultural heritage and the former Director of West African Museums Programme, Dr. Diamitani has had the opportunity to visit numerous museums in Africa, Europe and the USA. He collaborated with various institutions for the training of museum staff, overseeing guidelines and practices for the development of their permanent collections through acquisition strategies, exhibitions, and accompanying catalogs. He earned his Ph.D. in 1999 from the School of Art and Art History at the University of Iowa, Iowa City during which he worked as a fellow at the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as a Coleman fellow. Dr. Diamitani is a published author and scholar and recognized contributor to emerging research and knowledge of West African art.

Dr. Samuel Nortey is a practicing ceramicist and senior lecturer at the department of Industrial Art, KNUST, Ghana. He holds a PhD in African Art and Culture, has trained indigenous potters, and has published quite extensively on expanding the frontiers of pottery and ceramics production in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa.

Image Caption

Lidded vessel
Toussian or Gouin style
20^th century
Earthenware
23 x 17 x 17.5 inches
Gift of Travis von Tobel, M.D., 2015.215a-b

Unrecorded artist; Burkina Faso