The traditional arts of Mali are mostly three dimensional. Artists from Mali's different cultures all shared the same interest in the forms of animals. Many sculptures and designs from Mali are abstract forms of animals with similar markings. Horns are a common motif, as decorations are a symbol of agricultural prosperity. While the term abstract is used to describe 20th century modern art that was influenced by African art, abstract can also be used to describe African art. The arts of Mali are not considered primitive. The artists are trained and deliberate in their abstractions of nature. Distortions in art are meant to express a beautiful aspect of nature. African art may have greatly influenced European artists of the abstract expressionism movement such as, Jackson Pollock, Picasso, and Georges Braque. The artists of the abstract movement were interested in looking at the world from a different point of view or many perspectives at once.

The art of Mali was meant to serve a certain purpose. The artist would create a work of art in order to fulfill a certain task for religious, magical, or economic purposes. Weavers, sculptors, and potters became members of artists' guilds where they taught apprentices their sacred craft. These artists did not receive money; their main goal was to please the gods and the spirits of their ancestors. Artists were considered to have special powers that allowed them to evoke the forces of nature through their craft. Today, most art craftsmanship is seen as a means of income for the household.

People from around the world have collected the art of Mali and West Africa. Since there was no written language, the artists' names have been forgotten only to be remembered through their art work. Much of the art that is collected from Africa is labeled by the culture from which it originated.

There is no single word for art in the African languages. There are many words for things that are beautiful or things that are made by people. The Bamana of Mali use words for sculpture such as, mafile fenw or laje fenw, which mean things to look at.

African art can be divided into five distinct categories; body adornment, sculpture, textiles, woodcarving, and masks.

Body Adornment

Body decoration in the form of painting and tattooing is an accepted art form in Africa. Dancers paint their bodies for particular ceremonies. There are many different forms of body art; each culture has distinct characteristics that have evolved through centuries of body art.

Sculpture

Blacksmiths, who forge iron, are among the most important craftsmen. They are considered to have magical powers that are passed down through their ancestors. Smiths, while respected for their technical skills, are held in awe and often feared for their magical powers (Ulrich 1996). The men are ritual specialists who work iron and sculpt wood for the farmers; their wives are often potters. (Sieber and Walker, p. 20). Smithing/carving is a hereditary occupation. A young boy will spend many hours at his father's forge observing and performing small tasks before he begins his apprenticeship. He will work with his father for as long as seven or eight years operating the bellows, then carving wood and finally forging iron (Martin & O'Meara, p. 228).

Blacksmiths are called numuw. They go through a long training period to learn their craft. Their workdays begin with meditation and sacrifice, because the production of tools and other items is a sacred undertaking. While working primarily in iron, the blacksmith provides the villagers with knives, hoes, horse trappings, alter figures, staffs and guns. Since the introduction of firearms in the 16th century by Morocco, smiths have become skilled in making and repairing weapons (Ulrich 1996).

Textiles

Mali is famed for genuine mud cloth with hand-painted designs using the traditional methods which have been passed down for many centuries. The mud cloth is made using an ancient and extensive process. Fabric is all hand spun for authentic individual cloth sheets. Each strip of cloth is then sewn together. The entire piece of fabric is then dyed in tea made from the Bogalon tree found in Mali. The tea acts as a fixative for mud painted designs that are hand painted using specially prepared mud. Some designs are then bleached after the entire process is complete to give white designs.

A special textile called the Kente cloth is a type of ceremonial cloth worn by kings, queens and important political figures. The word Kente comes from the word kenten, which means basket. The cloth is created by hand-weaving 4-inch wide strips. These strips are sewn together to create a larger piece of cloth. Traditionally, the size and design of the cloth varied according to gender, age, marital status and social standing. In modern society, kente is primarily chosen according to personal preference. Although many people create kente cloth designs, certain designs can be reserved to be worn by people of royalty only.

Woodcarving

Ebony is an exceptionally hard and beautiful wood found only in the Sahara desert regions of Africa. Ebony is very dense and heavy. After being carved, ebony is polished for a brilliant sheen. Mali is home to many master carvers of ebony. They use simple hand tools to produce beautiful sculptures. The carvings often reveal a fascinating mixture of black and brown; as well as pure black wood that is most well known. The dry climate causes ebony to dry and crack, giving the sculptures another aspect of design. Each work of art that comes from ebony wood has a unique beauty.

Masks

We think of masks as a disguise or a part of a Halloween celebration. Masks perform many functions in African culture. Traditional masks symbolize the spirits of animals and people. They are a method of blending the real world with the spirit world. The African community is commonly viewed as made up of the unborn, the living and those who have died.

Often masks are worn along with elaborate costumes in important ceremonies. Masks are sometimes worn by chiefs and rulers when they make laws, and by teachers when discussing history and traditions. Masks are especially important in initiation and funeral rites. There are several types of masks. The facemask covers a person's entire face. A helmet mask covers the entire head of the person. A headdress mask sits on top of the head instead of covering the face.

Usually, only men wore masks, although the masks could represent males or females. Only certain people were allowed to wear masks. To belong to this special group the wearer had to undergo special training and pass specific tests. Masks were deliberately made to look different from humans. Some were carved of wood and enhanced with such items as human hair, beads, metal, animal skin and vegetation.

We must remember that a mask was only part of a ceremonial costume. The mask was used with music and dancing, which we do not experience by viewing the mask on display. For an African, how the many pieces of the ceremony work together is an important element. The costume, the mask, music and the dance are all equally important.