While the various cultures of Africa create distinctive art forms that reflect their religious, cultural, historical, and regional beliefs, using readily available materials to illustrate the artist's connection to their culture. This selection of materials reflects one of the five major elements of African art, providing proportion and balance to the finished pieces. Complimenting this element are aesthetic and cultural ideas concerning the representation of human forms which embody life and reproduction, health, and self-control.
A variety of materials are used in the creation of African art work, from the terracotta Nok sculptures of northern Nigeria to the brass and copper castings in Benin. Depending on the region, African art from local trees has not always been a possible or viable material for creative expression. For example, the terracotta and metal sculptures in certain regions were a viable alternative to wood due to the immunity of these materials to termite damage. Pre-19th century examples of wooden art, like those from the southern Saharan region where wood is have not fared as well, succumbing to not only termites but also rot and other insect damage.
Among the mediums evident in African tree art, the carving of wooden figures is not simply a matter of art but also of practicality in areas of religion and custom. For example, figures can be carved to act as representations of an ancestor to be placed on a shrine. In addition, wood carving is also used to create other significant objects such as structural posts or ornate thrones for the tribal chief.
Perhaps one of the most globally recognized forms of African tree art is the use of wood as a material for the creation of tribal masks. There are seven main types of wood masks seen in African tribal art, including: the headdress, face mask, horizontal plank masks, belly or body mask, helmet crest, cap crest, shoulder mask, and multi-wearer mask. Masks are sometimes adorned with other natural materials such as animal skins, natural fibers, and oils. While some masks are carved from pieces of locally-available wood, others such as the helmet mask seen among the Sande tribe of Liberia and the Mende tribe of Sierra Leone or the belly/body masks of the Makonde tribe in Tanzania are carved from solid tree trunks. As with other forms of African tree art, wooden masks have cultural significance and are used in religious and celebratory ceremonies.