Publication date:
15 October 2019Publisher
Intellect BooksDimensions:
230x170mm7x9"
ISBN-13: 9781783209934
Moving far beyond predominant views of Africa as a place to be 'saved', and even more recent celebratory formulations of it as 'rising', African Luxury: Aesthetics and Politics highlights and critically interrogates the visual and material cultures of lavish and luxurious consumption already present on the continent. Methodologically, conceptually and analytically, the collection dismantles taken-for-granted ideas that the West is the source and focus of high-end and hyper-desirable material cultures. It explores what the culture of consumption means in Africa in both historical and contemporary contexts, studying diverse luxury phenomena including fashion advertising, reality television, retail, gendered consumption and gardening to re-centre the discussion on existing contemporary luxury cultures across the continent.
'This collection provides a nuanced exploration of a wide variety of examples of African luxury and consumption practices. While much scholarship has negated the very existence of African luxury, this compilation verifies the topic as worthy of focus and the need for further exploration as it continues to evolve in real time. This collection identifies how African luxury creates a friction between its Africanness and ability to exist long term on a large scale as this publication provides an informative baseline of understanding.'