Eija-Liisa Ahtila keenly brings to light difficult, often disturbing aspects of contemporary life, empathetically communicating their effect on everyday people through today's evolving technologies of film and video.

Yoruba kings appear in public wearing voluminous robes and veiled, cone-shaped crowns (ade) adorned with colorful coral or glass beads. The earliest crowns were made entirely of African red jasper beads.

The Baule are essentially an egalitarian people who live in independent villages and vest authority in "notables." These dignitaries lead a cluster of villages and are distinguished by gold regalia, including crowns, jewelry, handheld objects, flywhisks, and footwear. The regalia may be made of pure gold or wood covered with gold leaf.

Similar to other traditional African masks and figures, headwear is about more than aesthetics: it is functional and meaningful. It is a means of nonverbal communication about the wearer, such as gender, status in society, membership in an association, rank in an organization, profession, or affiliation with a deity. According to many African peoples, the head is the most important part of the body.