Tree of Life
On view through January 6, 2023
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston, Texas
www.crafthouston.org
“Tree of Life” showcases sculptural objects made from the African blackwood tree, also known as mpingo or Dalbergia melanoxylon. Native to Tanzania and the territory surrounding Mt. Kilimanjaro, this tree has a naturally dark, nearly black, colored core and other unique properties that make it a preferred choice of material for ornamental turning, carving, and use in woodwind instruments. This exhibition features figural sculptures carved in the Makonde tradition by Tanzania-based artists, Joseph Singombe and Pius Mtembe; ornamental turning by the late Texas-based artist James Harris; and woodwind instruments that explore the different methods artists are using when approaching this material.
Find out more here: https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/tree-of-life
[Image: James Harris, Perfume Atomizer, No. 3 (PA03), 2008. Ebony, African Blackwood, Amboyna burl, turquoise cabochon. 2.75 x 1.25 x 3.75 inches. Photo by James Harris. Photo courtesy of Bette Harris.]
