'Sacred Currents' examines how African cultures materialize spirituality

'Sacred Currents' at Lake Wales Art Council

"Sacred Currents: Spirituality in African Art" is on display at the Lake Wales Arts Council. Photojournalist Barry Wong reports.

LAKE WALES, Fla. - "Sacred Currents: Spirituality in African Art" showcases how many West African cultures materialize spirituality.

The exhibition is presented in three sections: Ceremony, Protection, Grief and Memorialization.

"The synopsis of the show is that it is a collection of different types of objects that have been used in ceremonial practices or in personal practices that harken to people's spiritual beliefs," Lake Wakes Arts Council Executive Director Tommy Frank said.

Dig deeper:

Protection features a variety of objects that would have been used as protective devices for homes and businesses.

"They're inscribed with prayers. They are charged with ritual in such a way that they become very meaningful objects," Frank said. "We're not talking about decoration. We're talking about objects that are truly believed to offer protection against unseen forces."

READ: Annual exhibition, 'Creative stART,' showcases art creativity of Pinellas County students

Ceremony features items used during the crowning of royalty, weddings and coming-of-age ceremonies. The Grief and Memorialization section features wooden sculptures created by artisans to represent a lost family member.

"They would feed these twin figures. They would bathe them. They would put them to bed. They really do take on that grieving family's memorialization of that lost family member," Frank said.

What they're saying:

"The exhibition as a whole is a celebration of the different ways that we as humans make things that will help to understand our world and understand our spiritual place within it," Frank said.