IN PERSON

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The Fowler welcomes you to the opening of Art, Honor, and Ridicule: Fante Asafo Flags from Southern Ghana. Join us to hear from the co-curator and newly appointed Shirley & Ralph Shapiro Director of the Fowler Museum, Silvia Forni, who will discuss the Fowler’s collection of asafo flags—one of the most extensive in the world. After her lecture, the celebrated UCLA Color Guard marching band will inaugurate the exhibition. An evening reception on the Fowler Museum’s terrace will follow. 

• 6–7pm: Lecture with exhibition co–curator Silvia Forni
• 6–9 pm: Outdoor reception with food, drinks, and music

Art, Honor, and Ridicule: Fante Asafo Flags from Southern Ghana
October 23, 2022–February 12, 2023

Colorful and conceptually layered, asafo flags are the insignia of the historical and still thriving military companies of Fante states in southern Ghana. Created by workshops active in the region, these banners are paraded by the companies to celebrate their strength and preserve the memory of their role as community defendants. Most works in the exhibition were produced by documented artists in the 20th century, but the tradition goes back at least to the 17th century. Accompanied by videos and photographs taken over the past five decades, the flags on view speak to the cultural, political, and social facets of these stunning textiles and their role in contemporary Fante life.

Parking in UCLA Lot 4: 198 Westwood Plaza, directly off Sunset Blvd.; $3/hr or max $14/day. Rideshare drop-off: 305 Royce Dr.