It is a harmless work of art. That has been a common excuse for nudity in images, sculptures and even audio visuals displayed in the name of expression. The main excuse for anyone who wants to get away with the display of nude images and pieces will mostly be that it was done for artistic reasons and that it has been misinterpreted and misunderstood.

When a South African museum held an exhibition that featured an artistic impression of the country’s president with his genitals out, it was said to be a form of expression that should not be taken literally. But it left others wondering if it would have been possible to get the same message across without having to cross the nudity line. 

In recent times we have had artistic creations in form of movies, documentaries; photos with the intentions of getting their point across, but while at it ignore societal norms. 

On walls of private residences and a few public places, it is common to spot images that display body parts that are considered private by most people’s light.

But just as the artists and creators of this ‘art’ have different and unique interpretation of their work; they should have in mind that their audience will also have different interpretations of the pieces, most of them contrary to the intended meaning.

However much artists, photographers and sculpture creators are regarded free to express themselves through their work of art, there should be a moral responsibility. There should be a line drawn between freedom of expression and respect for culture. That should be the modern face of freedom of expression. 

Any artist should always have in mind that it is possible to convey the intended message without having to raise eyebrows in society.

Of course there is argument that in western countries there are sculptures in public areas that have nude subjects and hence it should not be an issue when the same is done in African countries. It is a valid argument that however ignores the fact that different societies have different cultures.

If we still have the discussion of sex as a taboo in our society, how are we going to lie to ourselves that we are ‘liberal’ enough to display nude art? How are parents supposed to explain to their children the meaning of these art forms when they still cannot explain to them where babies come from?

It is against this background that the artists who are products of the dynamics of their society are faced with the challenge of striking a balance between message and mode, confrontation and conformity without the intended message losing the sting.