ABOUT THE COLLECTION
The Art Gallery of Ontario’s African art collection contains work created by many different cultures and people from south of the Sahara Desert in Africa during the 1800s and 1900s. These pieces were collected over several decades by Dr. Murray Frum whose vision and passion built one of the world’s most significant private collections of African art. The collection is strengthened by significant artworks, including a helmet mask by the Bembe peoples, a guardian figure reliquary by the Kota peoples, and the large-free standing male figure made by the Bamileke peoples.
Many of these 95 works are interpretations of the human form, encompassing universal themes such as birth, survival, death, and regeneration. Some pieces are used to highlight power and leadership, while others help individuals communicate with the spirit world.
