….There’s a general tendency in the marketplace to pigeonhole Atoe’s work as “African inspired.” Atoe resists the absoluteness of this categorization. It is superficial at best. In her words, “It’s hard to draw a straight line between what I’m making and anything spe- cifically to do with Africa.” She points out that it is impossible to conceive of Africa as a monolithic culture; rather, it is a continent with thousands of distinct tribal identities, each with their own languages and cultural practices. While Atoe is inspired by some subcultures within the African continent and diaspora, she is more interested in prehistoric symbols from all cultures and the universal appeal inherent in these symbols. To that end, Atoe’s work draws from all corners of the globe. …