Greater Than the Sum; Mixed Media and Meaning in Art from Africa, Asia and the Americas

Greater Than the Sum; Mixed Media and Meaning in Art from Africa, Asia and the Americas explores the beauty of resourcefulness, ornamentation, and the sacred cultural contexts from which multi-media artworks draw their significance. Featuring artwork primarily from Africa, alongside objects from Asia, the Americas and the Pacific, this exhibition highlights pieces from the World Art Collection that combine varied types of materials, repurposed found objects, and everyday items transformed into objects of cultural and spiritual significance. Fabric, beads, cowrie shells, nails, and metal are not simply decorative, they are materials embedded with meaning, tied to ritual practice systems of value and long standing aesthetic traditions.  

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Mixed media objects like these ask the viewer to consider the meaning embedded in art materials. Cowrie shawls, widely used across Africa and other regions, signify wealth, fertility, protection and spiritual power, while also referencing historic trade networks and systems of exchange.  These works help us to consider the power of materials, their connection to traditional aesthetics and practices, and their relevance to broader conversations around issues like sustainability. 

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Despite the Western origins of the term assemblage, mixed-media sculpture has long been central to artistic traditions throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and in Pacific Island cultural practices. The featured nkisi figures from the Kongo peoples of the Democratic Republic of Congo demonstrate this practice.  Nkisi figures are activated through ritual practice by a Banganga (diviner), who calls upon the ancestors to address matters of healing, protection and justice.  Each nail driven into the nkisi marks a specific moment of consultation with the diviner, activating a channel of communication with the ancestors. The nails become records of contracts, promises, and prayers from the village. These figures bear the weight of communal intention and understanding. At the same time, they present a dramatic, visually striking interplay of natural and man-made materials. As with all of the artworks in this exhibition, the nkisi figures show us how an artwork can be imbued with the history and energy of its community. 

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This exhibition is the result of the research and curatorial work of Mesa College student Evie Maher. As a 2025–2026 intern in the World Art Collection and a student in Mesa College’s Museum Studies Certificate Program, Maher collaborated with Art History faculty, World Art Collection staff, and fellow student interns to present these works to the campus and local community. Located on the ground floor of the Learning Resource Center, the exhibition invites viewers to engage with the power of mixed-media art beyond the narrow frameworks of European and American modernism.