ACAF

Celebrate creativity and culture by crafting your own clay sculpture inspired by traditional and contemporary Afrocentric sculptures.This immersive 2-hour workshop invites you to slow down and create with intention — inspired by African art forms, symbols, and storytelling: this workshop blends creativity with cultural exploration. In this beginner-friendly session, participants will learn foundational clay-building techniques while drawing inspiration from traditional and contemporary Afrocentric sculptures—bold silhouettes, symbolic forms, and storytelling through shape.While learning about how Afrocentric sculptures communicate identity, spirituality, and history through form, you’ll be guided to create a piece that reflects both cultural inspiration and personal expression. All while

Explore Afro-diasporic mask traditions while learning introductory clay handbuilding techniques to create their your expressive masks!Masks carry memory. They hold spirit, resistance, celebration, protection, and transformation.In this immersive clay workshop at ACAF in Philadelphia, participants will be introduced to a glimpse of Afro-diasporic mask histories across continents—beginning with ceremonial mask traditions of West and Central Africa, tracing their transformation through the Caribbean and South America during and after the transatlantic slave trade, and exploring how these visual languages continue to evolve in contemporary U.S. cultural practices.Together, we’ll examine how masks function as portals and preservation of identity.Participants will then learn