Togo Treasure House
Xie Yanshen with Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé in 2010 Stepping into the courtyard of the International Museum of African Art (MIAA), in the Togolese capital of Lomé, is akin to taking a trip to a magical and mysterious world. You suddenly find yourself immersed in hundreds of artworks of all shapes and materials, coming from remote villages all over Africa.
“It is definitely the most interesting sight in Lomé. It is far superior to the dusty old National Museum!” said Richard James, a recent visitor there from the United States.
Located not far from the shores of the Gulf of Guinea, MIAA opened its doors in 2012 and quickly became a must-see attraction in the Togolese capital. Visitors can admire one of the finest African folk art collections in the region, including ancestral figurines from Mali, terracotta statues from Nigeria, wooden sculptures from Chad, and sacred artifacts from the Democratic Republic of the Congo - some of which date back to the 10th century.
However, what most astonishes visitors in the museum is not so much the diversity of artworks, but rather the fact that the entire collection belongs to a Chinese man, who is also the owner of the museum.
“Visitors are very surprised when they learn this. It seems to them that it is an inconceivable fact that a Chinese can take such an interest in African culture!” Mélougnim Pesse, 27, who worked as a guide at MIAA, told ChinAfrica.
The call of art
The man behind MIAA is Xie Yanshen, 62, born in east China’s Jiangsu Province. But who is this Chinese who became the curator and founder of an African art museum in Togo?
“I was born into a family with a strong background in arts and a broad artistic vision, and so the value of collecting art grew naturally in me,” Xie told ChinAfrica.
After graduating from the Nanjing University of the Arts of Jiangsu Province, Xie worked as the first solo violinist of Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Symphony Orchestra. In February 1989, responding to a desire for adventure, he seized an opportunity to teach violin in Africa, at the International School of Lomé.
Once there, he discovered that Africa, and Togo in particular, had nothing to do with what he had imagined back in China.
“During my first weekend in Africa, I went to an art market, and it was then that I understood just how deep African art is, although it remains misunderstood. African sculpture in particular is a marvel of artistic treasures! It influenced a large number of world-class artists, including Picasso,” said Xie.
While voraciously reading books on African arts, Xie forged bonds of friendship with Togolese craftsmen, and began to collect artworks. This is how his private collection came into being, a passion that eventually became a vocation.
“Some of the artworks were found during my in-depth research into reclusive tribes, some were bought on the art collector market, and others were created and designed by exceptional craftsmen in our own African art workshop,” said Xie.
Once he had collected several hundred creations, the only thing missing was a suitable place to exhibit them. Using his personal savings, as well as generous donations given by family members and friends, Xie acquired a former art museum in 2012. This is how MIAA was born.
“My goal in establishing this museum was to preserve the ancient African cultural heritage, as well as to present this heritage to the interested public, especially to students and tourists,” said Xie.
The museum, which consists of three rooms and an adjacent workshop, is now visited by tourists from all over the world, as well as by researchers, government delegations, and even distinguished guests such as Togolese Minister of Communication, Culture, Sports and Civic Education Guy Madjé Lorenzo and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
“European tourists who come here have only praise for the beauty of the place. Many visitors do not want to leave, and some even ask us if they can spend the night here!” Xie said.
A bit of Togo in Beijing
Xie now divides his time between China and Togo, which he visits two to three times each year. Due to his unique expertise in the field of African sculpture, in 2001 Xie was appointed a research fellow and African art consultant of the National Museum of China (NMC) in Beijing, where he is working on an art book on African sculpture.
The International Museum of African Art is located in an idyllic setting in the Togolese capital of Lomé COURTESY PHOTOSIn his mission to promote African art, Xie donated more than 500 African artworks to the NMC, where they have been exhibited since May 2012. Located in the eighth exhibition hall, the African Sculptures Exhibition was visited by ministers of culture of African countries during the Fifth Ministerial Conference of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2012, who amply praised it.
“The NMC attaches great importance to protecting, collecting and researching African sculpture artworks, as a symbol of Sino-African friendship,” explained Xie.
Xie now plans to expand his activities by opening a MIAA studio in the Beijing T3 International Art District, to further unite respective forces in Africa and China.
Spreading knowledge
More than simply collecting and exhibiting, an important mission of the MIAA is to support the dissemination of traditional know-how to younger generations in Togo.
After becoming a full member of the International Council of Museum in 2016, the museum is now an officially recognized platform for art education, and Togolese students have become frequent visitors to the museum.
“Not only do we explain the story behind the ancient artworks, but students also have the opportunity to see these creations in real life, not just in photographs or on the Internet,” said Pesse.
The museum has proved to be such an efficient teaching venue that schools in neighboring countries also started to organize trips to the museum.
“The museum’s courtyard is often filled with the happy laughter of teachers and children, who do not want to leave,” said Xie.
Another concern of the MIAA is supporting the local craft industry. In collaboration with Togolese craftsmen, the museum is in the process of creating its own collection of cultural and creative souvenirs to be sold to visitors.
The museum has set itself the task of popularizing creations of local craftsmen among tourists, explains Xie.
“We are helping local artists create souvenirs that tourists from China and elsewhere appreciate. Also, we hope that some Chinese designers can have closer contacts with African art, to find inspiration and create new products with African characteristics,” he said.
This initiative is also a solution to create an additional source of revenue for the museum, to ensure its long-term sustainability. “Although ticket sales help pay part of the costs, it is far from enough to cover the daily expenses of the museum,” explained Xie.
For him, building bridges between Togolese and Chinese artists is a calling to which he has devoted the last 28 years of his life. “It’s a great project worthy of a dream,” he said.
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