Calabashes and Gourds as Avant-Garde Materials in Painting

Abstract ―​

The materials and techniques used in production of art works are expanding daily as there appears no more restrictions in what artists could apply. So much so that discarded items recovered from dumpsites or in nature such as the calabash are utilised inart, particularly in creating paintings. It is worth to note that the calabash has had a long tradition in Africa, especially in Nigeria where it is applied for diversepurposes. However, this paper seeks to highlight the calabash as avant-garde material in art with particular focus on painting.In this paper, the authoranalyses Twelve (12) acrylic paintings on calabashes and gourds by of Bisalla Aliyu Mohammed. This paper concludes and recommendsartist to explore uncommon materials in creating unique works of art for the world to experience their point of view.