The Semiotics of Colour in Contemporary African Art: A Linguistic Interpretation

Abstract

Colour plays a central role in the expressive power of contemporary African art, yet its deeper communicative functions remain insufficiently explored. This study examines the semiotics of colour in selected contemporary African artworks, interpreting chromatic choices through a linguistic lens. Drawing on semiotic and multimodal theories, the study analyses how artists encode meaning through colour to articulate identity, memory, socio-political concerns, and cultural continuity. The research highlights the ways colour operates not merely as an aesthetic element but as a structured system of signs shaped by cultural knowledge and creative intent. Findings reveal that contemporary African artists employ colour as a communicative resource that functions similarly to language—marked by symbolic conventions, contextual variations, and interpretive possibilities. By integrating linguistic analysis with art interpretation, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how visual meaning is constructed in African artistic practice and how viewers can decode the communicative messages embedded in artistic palettes.

Keywords: Colour semiotics, contemporary African art, linguistic interpretation, multimodality, visual communication, chromatic symbolism.