The Liberian people had many different skills when it came to art. They worked with objects such as needles and knifes. Art was also a major part of ceremonies and traditions. The masks and statues used at ceremonies also had many meanings. Masks were made to imitate mythical creatures and powerful animals. Masks also made to represent the souls of the dead. The masks were believed to hold great spiritual power and were considered a taboo to where a mask if you were not the "chosen one" to wear the mask.Wearing the mask was supposed to change you to the character of the mask. The masks were believed to a soul or a force to create life.
The Liberian people wore very decorative clothing. They would dip their clothes into dye pits to get a wide variety of colors. Clothing for ceremonies was very dynamic and made the wearer look like a human sculpture. Clothing would be decorated with shell beads and beads made of other rocks. People would wear masks during ceremonies. These masks often resembled animals, humans, or mythical creatures. Statues were made most of the time out of wood and studded with iron nails or ivory studs. Another very important form of art to the Liberians was quilts and the use of dye pits. Quilts acted as a new canvas for the Liberian people to express themselvs in a different way, stitching. The idea of quilts however were taken to Africa by Americans.
Another skill that Africans were good at was working with metals. They would create bronze and brass sculptures that were influenced by their surrounding landscapes and animals. They used bronze castings and would inlay the pieces with precious gems and ivory. Most artists favored three-dimensional art over two-dimensional art.
Liberian art was strongly influenced by travelers from other lands. One major influence was the human bodies figure. This was one of the most used subjects in their art, especially during the early times. The use of the human body as a form of art was brought to Africa by Europeans. This idea along with others was a result with the trade between Europe and Africa. As said before, three-dimensional art was favored and was important in the makings of masks. Masks and costumes were "danced" to make them ready for ceremonies.