Cross -Currents and Transmigration of Motifs of Yoruba Art

Abstract

The Yoruba of South-western Nigeria are endowed with a deeply cultural and religious environment. The people.s culture and worldview are expressed through legends, folklore, time tested proverbs , wise sayings and a keen observation of their environment This is expressed in their various art forms, and no art work is never considered completed or aesthetically pleasing if it is devoid of one form of decorative motif or the other. .However early scholars concentrated on the sculptural art forms and neglected the decorative aspect of the people.s art which really is the essence of the culture as it serves as a visual representation of their philosophy of life and the world. The paper, through field research, analytically studied the different art forms practiced by the Yoruba, and establishes how the same set of motifs run through the many forms and typology, thus bringing to the fore the intrinsic significance of these motifs in the life of the people.

Key words: Yoruba, art, transmigration, motifs