The Yaka are an ethnic group of Southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

 and Angola

Angola

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...

. They number about 300,000. They live in the forest and savanna areas between the Kwango

Kwango River

The Cuango or Kwango is a transboundary river of Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the largest left bank tributary of the Kasai River in the Congo River basin. It flows through Malanje town in Angola...

 and Wamba rivers. They are very artistic. Many of their religious and cultural customs transcend ethnic boundaries, and are shared with the Suku and Lunda

Lunda

Lunda may refer to:* Lunda Empire incorporating the Lunda Kingdom* Lunda language * Lunda people , speaking Chilunda and living in southern DR Congo, eastern Angola and the North-Western Province of Zambia; also called the Western Lunda to distinguish them from:—* Eastern Lunda or Kazembe-Lunda, a...

.

Art

The Yaka are very artistic. They make statues, portraits, masks, tools for cooking, building, hunting, fishing or entertaing such as drums. Masks were very used in various ceremonies such as circumcision; initiation; celebration of birth of a child, marriage or death of an important chief. Masks varied in styles based on their usage and the details on each mask conveyed an important message.