African cultures are holistic. They tend toward inclusion and unity rather than elitism. African art demonstrates this characteristic, as it tends to express harmony, unity and balance. Its main objective is to unify the community. Central to African thought is the idea of fusion and oneness with Nature. There is a sense of infinite unity with the cosmic order via the nyama, a vital force that is close to our concept of the soul. The nyama is immortal and is the animating principal of life. Unlike the soul, which is indivisible, the nyama is transmissible in whole or in part and can go from a human being to a plant, from an animal to a human being or vice versa. It is part of the Universal Energy, which links everything: man, animal, minerals, and plants. A person can lose nyama by bleeding for example, or gain nyama by eating. Masks can be the dwelling place of the spirit and invisible forces such as the nyama. When wearing a mask, a person augments his/her nyama.
