Nubia

This monumental work, by the late John T. Biggers and Harvey L. Johnson, creates a unique humanistic statement for the entrance to the School of Business.

The mural Nubia, created by the late John T. Biggers and Harvey L. Johnson, represents the high culture of African civilization where ancient traditions of the arts, language and social exchange, are expressed daily.  The magnificent work describes the many aspects of Nubian culture as represented in the creativity and ceremony of the peoples of the Nile River Valley. The mural, measuring approximately eighteen feet by ten feet, is divided into five panels whose imagery documents the rich symbolism of African culture. Together, the five sections join to create a visual tapestry of ancient African life.

Commissioned for the JHJ School of Business in 1998, Nubia explores new dimensions of African iconography. The procession of women, the celestial quilt and the sacred waters of life, the great boat and the great comb, and the patheon of heraldic animals all symbolize the origins of civilization. The richness of the river, with its abundance of plant and animal life, reflects the antiquity of the ecosystem and the universe. This monumental work creates a unique humanistic statement for the entrance to the School of Business, and demonstrates that the true meaning of commerce combines function and spirituality.  Just as the marketplaces of Africa are filled with art works created particularly for exchange, so does the mural depict the spiritual bond between the mercantile world and the natural kingdom of plants, animals, and human beings.