Art of the Lega: Meaning and Metaphor in Central Africa

October 28, 2001 – March 10, 2002

These objects, from the Jay T Last Collection at the Fowler Museum, comprise a spectacular survey of one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Lega art and represents one of the most significant central African artistic traditions. Highlighting the role that the arts play in Lega society and their importance to the Lega people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, these works are used to instruct men and women through gradual stages of initiation in the essential values of their culture. From jewelry and masks, to utilitarian objects such as spoons in wood and ivory, the exceptional beauty, abstract forms and elegant simplicity of these small-scale pieces are intriguing.

Browse Lega art from our collection.

Exhibition Credits

Art of the Lega is organized by the UCLA Fowler Museum and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, in Kansas City, and curated by Dr. Elisabeth L. Cameron, a specialist in central African arts.