A Theoretical Framework for Understanding Indigenous Aesthetics as Critical Discourse in African Art History

The discipline of African art history has been shaped by theoretical frameworks developed largely within Western academic institutions, with indigenous African aesthetic philosophies remaining underutilised as critical tools for interpreting African art on its own conceptual terms. This study develops an original theoretical framework for indigenous aesthetics as a form of critical discourse within African art history, constructing the model through systematic engagement with Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa aesthetic philosophies as documented in ethnographic, literary, and art historical scholarship. The theoretical contribution draws on the concept of itutu in Yoruba aesthetics, the Igbo concept of uli as both visual language and philosophical statement, and the intellectual traditions of Islamic geometric art in Hausa design to articulate a multi-tradition indigenous aesthetic theory applicable to critical art historical analysis. The framework is tested through critical readings of twenty canonical works in Nigerian art history, demonstrating how indigenous aesthetic categories generate interpretive insights unavailable through conventional Western art historical methods. The methodology combines philosophical analysis, comparative aesthetics, and art historical interpretation, engaging with the works of Nigerian scholars including Uche Okeke, El Anatsui, and Bruce Onobrakpeya. The theoretical framework draws on African philosophy of aesthetics, postcolonial theory, and the decolonising methodologies literature. A central claim of the study is that indigenous aesthetic philosophies are not merely contextual supplements to Western critical frameworks but constitute independent epistemological systems capable of generating original art historical knowledge. Findings contribute a major theoretical resource for African art history curriculum reform, decolonisation debates, and critical practice. Keywords: indigenous aesthetics, African art history, critical theory, decolonisation, Yoruba Igbo Hausa