The art of Angola derives from centuries of tradition and cultural rituals. The most famous symbols are wooden masks and sculptures, which are not only merely aesthetic creations, but play an important role in rituals that celebrate the passage from childhood to adulthood, the birth and the death, the new harvest, the hunting season, etc. The use of ceremonial masks is always accompanied with music and storytelling. In producing masks and other items, each ethno-linguistic group has distinct styles, working in wood, ivory, bronze, malachite and ceramic.
	Mask Mwana Mpwevo	Mask Ndemba
	Kuando Kubango	Uige
	According to Angolan tradition, the little wooden statues contain supernatural powers. A curious tradition is the basket (ngombo), used by the ethnic group Lunda-Tchokwe, containing different wooden statues. The priest (nganga) retrieves the statues from the basket and is able to foretell the future according to the symbols each statue represent.
	Literary roots in the oral tradition were overlaid during the 19th century with the writings of Angolan intelectuals in the cities. Literature helped to focus on anti-colonial resistance and played an important role in the independence struggle. Angola's most famous poet, António Agostinho Neto, was the leader of an important political movement and became later the first president of the Republic of Angola. His works dealt with themes of freedom and have been translated into many languages.

 

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