Man against His Image

In western African societies, there is a close relationship between the world of the living and the world of ancestors which is provided through infinite ritual relationships. This relationship makes it possible for the living to perceive and accept transition to the other world through representational tools which are defined as “artistic” for us. Sculptures which are placed in holy altars and are representations of ancestors can be considered as some of these tools. Today, photographic portraits replace these tools. The image of human being in sculptures and today in portraits can be considered as a kind of relationship with a holy “couple” which in these people’s beliefs accompany human beings till their death and will rejoin them after their death and the period of separation. It can be stated that in this period human beings move from the world of the living to the world of the dead and become ancestors. In this article, the author describes this situation, mentioning its instances in western Africa and analyzes this situation in representational forms, sculpture and photography.