Ulli Beier (1922–2011)

As someone who grew up loving travel, language and geography, it was really humbling to get to the south pacific and face how little I knew about such a large part of the world. It was also lovely to get some experience and grounding for that knowledge; to see the edges of what I could begin to learn. All that to say when I got home I started adding pacifika authors to my to-read list, what I could find and access. Somewhere in there was this collection of PNG authors, one of the very few show more available here. (Ah for access to the NZ library.)I didn't read every work, but I did read quite a bit from each section. I quite enjoyed ... everything, from more traditional storytelling to some very snappy plays to piercing and well-reasoned political essays. Interesting to read works from primarily the 70s and see where they fit into the 2009ish insight I had to the news I get in the present. Everything here is still vitally relevant. show less

Ulli Beier is an author on Yuraba art and literaure. The book is concerned with the work of Susanne Wenger, originally and Austrian artist who moved to the western region of Nigeria and became absorbed in the Yoruba culture and recreated the shrines in the Oshun grove. The book describes the Yourba culture and how it relates to Islam and Christianity. It continues with a history of the town of Oshogbo and its important shrines to the Yoruba deities such as Shango (thunder god). There are show more many photographs of Wenger's work and those photographs of the resulting architectural works and sculpture are particularly interesting. Some of the sculpulture is reminiscent of Gaudi (although the resemblance is coincidental). Included at the end of the book is a brief discussion of artists who worked with Susanne Wenger as well as a glossary of Yoruba terms. show less

No princípio da moderna arte africana. A arte da independência da Nigéria, quando tudo estava a re-começar.