Arts

Cameroonian art is very diversified according to tribes or ethnic groups. It is a bit different than simply looking at a painting. We have traditional art displayed through special kinds of houses, dancers, textiles and accessories.

Kingdom houses, a village chief's home, is a special artistic structure are different too.

In the Western region of the country Kingdom houses are very tall with pointed triangle-shaped roofs. However, in the North of the country where the weather is pretty hot (on average 38 degrees) Kingdom houses are tallest with walls made of clay. Some of them have rounded clay roofs and others palm leaves roofs.

In addition, traditional dancers, people who dress up in special clothing, perform dance steps according to the habits and customs of each region. They are present for special occasions such as the coronation of a new king, funerals, traditional weddings and the birth of a prince or a princess. The dance is its own special art form.

Also, many traditional artisans make masks and hand-made fabrics. During craft shows you can see how artisans are inspired. Masks are usually carved and decorated out of wood. Another example is cowry which is a decoration that is often used on textiles. Cowry are white sea snail shells. They can be very beautiful on traditional clothes, shoes or jewellery. During traditional weddings, the brides often dress with clothes decorated with cowry shells.

Overall, Cameroonian art is beautiful, rich and an important part of our culture. However, Cameroonian artisans are not well known internationally as they do not receive government subsidies to help them increase their activities. Whenever I travel, I wear Cameroonian art and everyone around me loves it. The world needs more Cameroonian art.