The Museum of fine arts Houston

Houston Fine arts

1001 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005
www.mfah.org  713.639.7300

2,500 Years of African Art

The focus of the African collection is on works created by people living south of the Sahara in the grasslands and the rainforest regions of western and central Africa.

African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Caroline Wiess Law Building
1001 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005
Salute to the Artists: Friday, Jan. 28, 2005 6:00 pm, Brown Auditorium Theater
Opening Reception: Friday, Jan. 28, 2005 6:00 pm — 10:00 pm
www.mfah.org  713.639.7300

On view through May 8, 2005
At the Caroline Wiess Law Building

African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection introduces American audiences to a vanguard collection of contemporary African art. More than 200 works by 33 artists from Africa reflect a remarkable vitality of expression. 

Romuald Hazoumé, Benin, Zanzibrrrrace, 2003, © Romuald Hazoumé
Stop, Look, and Listen!

Beginning in 1989, Swiss entrepreneur and photographer Jean Pigozzi made an extraordinary commitment to assemble a broad collection of contemporary African art, an endeavor he later described as "my ultimate obsession." With the collaboration of the Paris-based curator André Magnin, this commitment evolved into the Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC).

African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection will introduce this internationally recognized collection to MFAH audiences, profiling 33 artists from 15 countries. No single tradition or method defines artists of the CAAC. Rather, Pigozzi and Magnin have sought to represent the range of expression explored by artists who find their home in Africa. These artists share an awareness of both local and global cultures, acknowledging the complex heritage they face today.

The Glassell Collection of African Gold

A supremely important collection of African gold was donated to the museum in 1997 by Alfred C. Glassell, Jr., Chairman Emeritus and Life Trustee of the MFAH.