The exhibition showcases the extraordinary richness of Makonde art – one of East Africa's most recognisable artistic groups, originating in Tanzania and Mozambique. For the first time in Poland, such a wide selection of sculptures, masks and objects from private and museum collections is on display, including those of Ewa and Eugeniusz Rzewuski, Jerzy Radomski, Roman Strzemiecki, Father Krystian Golisz, Zofia Stanisławska, Professor Renata Diaz-Szmidt, Professor Aneta Pawłowska, and Dr Zofia Potakowska. The exhibition explores the work of Makonde artists in the context of spirituality, community and modern artistic expression. The works on display – from shetani-style sculptures to ujamaa compositions – reveal the complex world of beliefs, myths and contemporary interpretations of tradition. The exhibition is accompanied by documentaries depicting the artists at work and a conversation with Eugeniusz Rzewuski, a collector and expert in African art.
Curators of the exhibition:
- Prof. Aneta Pawłowska (Institute of History of Art, University of Lodz)
- Dr Zofia Potakowska (Polish Institute of World Art Studies)
The event inaugurates the cooperation between the Institute of History of art., University of Lodz, and the Municipal Museum in Żory – the first joint venture under the signed cooperation agreement.
The exhibition will run until 7 December 2025.
