African wood carving enjoys an international reputation for its bold, passionate and unadorned style. They even played an important role in inspiring modern artists like Pablo Picasso. An exhibition dedicated to the art form has opened over the weekend at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing.

Entitled "Tree of Life", the exhibition features over 100 pieces gathered from Tanzania, Mozambique, Cote D'Ivoire, Benin, Ghana, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Emphasis is placed on the mask carvings that play an important role in ritual activities, the portrait carvings that represent the secular life of Africans and cloud themed carvings that embody the unique worldviews of African artists.

Wu Weishan, director of the National Art Museum of China said that China and Africa are both birthplaces of human civilization. They both have a long history and diverse cultural forms. 

"The National Art Museum of China has collected over 300 hundred pieces of wood carving and bronze sculptures of different periods in Africa with high historical and artistic values. In 1999, we co-hosted an exhibition of African wood carving with the ministry of culture, it was the largest African art exhibition by then, which displayed sculptures from eleven African countries. That was the beginning and we're proud to present the artworks again," Wu added.

The presentation also features two Picasso paintings, "'Man and woman by a flower vase" and "Man with a Pipe," as African sculptures have greatly influenced Western modern art, offering inspiration to numerous artists including Picasso and Henri Mattise.

"During the early 1900s, the aesthetics of traditional African sculpture became a powerful influence among European artists who formed an avant-garde in the development of modern art. We arranged the two Picasso pieces alongside the African sculptures so visitors can compare the two genres and maybe they will find some interesting connections," said Wu.

For visitors, the raw energy of these imaginative artworks from the African continent has been eye-opening.

"I think their portrait of people's daily lives is so real and touching," a visitor told CGTN reporter.

While another said she's impressed by the intricate hollow sculptures. "I've never seen African sculptures here in China on this scale. Very impressive, especially the hollow ones," she said.

"Tree of Life" runs at the National Art Museum of China until January 22, 2019.

(Head Image: Two Picasso paintings shown alongside African woodcarving. /NAMOC Photo)