African musical instruments are some of the most elegant objects our culture produced. Many of them were never meant to do only one thing. A drum can make music and still stand as a striking decorative piece. The shapes, the carving, the materials, the proportions, they were designed with both sound and beauty in mind.
Yet the same drums and masks that sit in places like the British Museum are treated as important cultural objects once they leave the continent. At home, too many people still struggle with the idea of bringing them into modern living spaces.
If the craftsmanship is good enough for a museum, it is good enough for a thoughtfully designed room. We don’t have to choose between modern living and our own instruments. They can exist in both
African drums don’t have to live only in studios, workshops, or “cultural” spaces. They can sit beautifully in a modern living room, a designer’s office, or a fashion studio without forcing the entire room to look like a museum exhibit or a shrine.
We have so many talented artists, designers, and creatives. There’s a way to place a well-crafted drum, a talking drum, or a carved djembe as a deliberate decorative piece, the same way people place sculptures, pottery, or art objects. It doesn’t have to scream “spiritual” or feel out of place. It can simply be beautiful form, texture, and history that belongs in the room.
The problem is we still hesitate to do this with our own things while happily filling spaces with European art, abstract pieces, or high-end foreign decor. Our culture has strong visual and functional objects. We should use them.