Relics of Yoruba

The culture of the West African Yoruba people is gaining notoriety throughout the VCU community through the Anderson Gallery’s “Embodying the Sacred in Yoruba Art,” which is on display through March 1.

The 70-piece exhibit explores the spirituality of the Yoruban culture, including royal objects and shrines ranging in material from colorful beads to wooden pieces. According to Anderson Gallery spokeswoman Traci Horne Flores, the exhibit found its way to VCU through art history professor and Yoruban art scholar, Babatunde Lawal.

“It’s something we don’t normally have at the Anderson Gallery and something people may not have seen before,” Flores said.

Alongside the Yoruban art exhibit is the complementary “The Beaded Prayers Project,” which consists of 5,000-prayer bead packets made from people in 35 different countries. The project was started in 1998 by crafts and material studies professor Sonya Clark. Although the Yoruban exhibit was not planned with “The Beaded Prayer Project,” they have been shown simultaneously before.

“We have had lots of students and tour groups from VCU and high school classes that seem to be very interested in the work and the culture,” Flores said.