Paper short abstract:

The paper examines and analyses the symbols and imageries in the artworks in religious shrines in Ile-Ife to reconfigure the Yorùbá tradition and initial perception of the art in African Traditional Religion by the missionaries.

Paper long abstract:

Art is as old as human religion in traditional African societies. The early man used art to express his feelings in service to the Supreme Being through the medium of lesser gods and goddesses. This was perceived by the colonial masters to be evil and, hence condemned. However, human generations from inception are accustomed to the use of art to embellish places of worship and facilitate worship. Many Yorùbá communities value art in places of worship as part of their lifestyles. The ancient town of Ile-Ife, the ancestral home of the Yorùbá and mythological source of gods and humans is a notable example. The paper examines and analyses the symbols and imageries in the artworks in religious shrines in Ile-Ife to reconfigure the Yorùbá tradition and initial perception of the art in African Traditional Religion by the missionaries. It specifically examines the use and relevance of art in worship centers such as Òkè Mògún, Ilẹ̀ Oòduà, Ọbàtálá, Ìta Ọ̀sun and Òrìsa Ìkirè’s temples, and their acceptability by people. The study engages a qualitative approach to research: oral interviews, and direct observation of the art images in places of worship. The descriptive Approach of Art History will be used to analyse the symbols and imageries, and people’s perception of the art. The paper proposes that art and spirituality are relevant in all religions and that traditional African art and spirituality were wrongly perceived by colonial masters to be evil and demonic, hence, decolonising the terms used to describe traditional African art.