Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

A cursory glance at the conceptions of what is beautiful reveals that there are different understandings of beauty. What beauty is to someone in India might be different from what it is to the American. A person can be beautiful in America and be very ugly in Iran or Iraq. A person can be beautiful in Saudi Arabia, and look like a masquerade in Japan. The famous saying “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” implies diversity in the conception of beauty and does seem to reflect the enriched human culture, nature and perceptions of what beautiful is. However, most times when beauty is spoken about, it is meant a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. While all these are very important in the consideration of beauty, for the African, the word “beautiful” holds more meaning to it. Beauty for the African is wholistic, and thus goes beyond the physical appearance of a person to encompass character and relationships with the other. This piece would study the African concept of beauty, using the Igbo culture area as a point for detailed studies. Igwebuike philosophy, which is characterized by a wholistic and complementary approach, would be employed for the interpretation of the Igbo concept of beauty.

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