A Guro mask, Ivory Coast, collected in the region of Gohitafla. Provenance by Bakari Bouaflé, the son of the legendary West African Art Dealer Amadou Bouaflé,

The Guro masks from from the Gohitafla region, are one of the most fascinating and culturally significant artefacts of the Guro tribe. It has influenced Hanna Höch by her quoted "Guro-Collage" in the 1920th .Around the early 20th century, many European avant-garde artists, such as Hannah Höch and those in the Dada and Cubist movements, were inspired by African a, masks, sculptures and textile because of its abstract forms, symbolic power, and expressive qualities.

Hannah Höch, a collage inspired by a Guro mask, Berlinische Galerie, Be, Germany.

Artists like Picasso famously drew from African art to break away from traditional Western perspectives. While Höch was primarily focused on photomontage and political critique, the broader modernist interest in “primitive” art certainly influenced the artistic environment she worked in. 

Primitivism and African Art: A Dialogue Across Cultures
This exhibition explores the profound impact of African art on the early 20th-century Primitivism movement in Western art. Artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Hannah Höch i were captivated by the powerful forms, symbolic meanings, and raw expressiveness of African sculptures, masks, and ritual objects.

African art, with its abstract shapes and spiritual depth, challenged Western notions of representation and aesthetics, inspiring a radical break from traditional European styles. Through this dialogue, Primitivism opened new avenues for modern art, emphasizing emotional intensity, symbolic content, and innovative use of form.
In this exhibition, you will see a curated selection of authentic African artifacts alongside works by Primitivist artists, illustrating how cultural exchange transformed artistic practices and perceptions of beauty.

wolfgang jaenicke, sothebys, dorotheum

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Height: 44 cm
Weight: 1,7 kg incl. stand