Rock art
Pictorial art has been present in Tanzania since its earliest days. The Kondoa site alone covers six prehistoric periods, from -40,000 to -3,000. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this complex of 200 caves stretches along the edge of the splendid Rift Valley. In these rock shelters, all types of rock art can be seen on the walls. Hunting scenes, realistic and totemic animals, human figures, some of which measure over 3 meters and depict dances and rituals. Stylistically, these drawings are similar to those found in Europe.
Makonde art
The Makonde style is particularly associated with sculpture and, to a lesser extent, painting in southern Tanzania. By tradition, the Makonde people have always carved their everyday objects and masks in pieces of wood, notably ebony. On their arrival, the Portuguese colonists made no secret of their fascination with Makonde creations. In response, Makonde sculptors adapted their techniques and opted for different, more resistant woods. Since then, modern Makonde art has developed in Tanzania. It actually encompasses several styles. These include the traditional Mapiko masks, carved from a single block of light wood and intended to be worn by dancers. Next comes the Ujamaa style, which refers to group sculptures, a family or community arranged around a central figure. This style was introduced by Roberto Yakobo Sangwani from Mozambique in the 1950s.
A naturalistic genre, Binadamu, recalls social roles. Men often smoke, while women perform chores.
An abstract trend emerged around the representation of evil spirits, the Shetani. The greatest exponent of abstraction is George Lugwani. Since the 1970s, international recognition of Makonde art has been led by the artist George Lilanga.
From Tingatinga to Lilanga
The legendary painter Edward Saidi Tingatinga (1932-1972) was born into a poor family in the village of Namochelia, in southern Tanzania. Christian on his mother's side and Muslim on his father's, he realized at an early age that he couldn't make a career in this remote area. He left to work on sisal plantations in the north of the country, before finding a job working for his uncle in Dar es Salaam in 1968. It was then that he began his first explorations in music and painting. He recycled common materials, from ceramic fragments to bicycle paint. He developed a naïve style, tinged with humor and bordering on surrealism. He painted numerous landscapes in which he juxtaposed emblematic figures of African culture. His work soon became so popular with Western residents and tourists that he founded the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society to make a living from his art. There, he trained the country's future artists. But he was killed in 1972 when a policeman mistook him for a fugitive. Nevertheless, his style spread throughout Tanzania, Kenya and much of East Africa.
Tingatinga's pupil was George Lilanga, whom he taught drawing, painting and lithography. Lilanga, who was born in Masasi, Tanzania, in 1934 and died in Dar es Salaam in 2005, grew up in the countryside. It was in this environment that he began training in sculpture in 1961, working alongside the famous Makonde sculptors. The Makonde came from the highlands of Mozambique and settled in the Dar es Salaam region in search of better living conditions. In 1973, George Lilanga founded the artists' collective "Nyumba ya Sanaa" (House of Arts) and trained with Tingatinga.
Lilanga's career is twofold, as he works simultaneously in sculpture and painting. In the tradition of Makonde culture, his creations evoke the mythical value of women and the dances performed by masked men. Magical thinking is at the heart of Makonde beliefs. For them, ancestors, genies and natural forces keep them in a restless universe. However, Lilanga sets herself apart by bringing the notion of the individual, and therefore of personal talent, into art. In the African context, this represents a major change. On a formal level, his works demonstrate a refined aesthetic sense. In his engravings, he literally transforms the vocabulary of classical sculpture. Between ancestral legends and contemporary stories, his works depict the village population to offer a social critique of everyday life in Tanzania. His highly personal style appeals to collectors the world over. The number of his works sold around the world has reached such heights that some are said to have been created by his pupils. The fact is, George Lilanga founded a movement in Africa.
Tingatinga School
Today, painting is represented by a particular style known as Tingatinga, named after an artist who died too soon. Characterized by bright colors and repetitive motifs, the apparently simple works feature wild animals painted from the front, stylized to give them a fantastic appearance, or scenes from everyday village life, witch stories, fables, against a background of various plant or animal motifs... All media are possible: canvases, walls, or all kinds of objects, depending on demand. Production is fairly uneven. Some artists, who have been able to perfect their skills with the masters among the forty or so members of the Tingatinga cooperative, produce remarkable original works, while others simply copy. In Kenya, for example, some are smugglers, and one company has bought the Tinga Tinga copyright. Prices for a canvas vary from TSH 5,000 to over TSH 100,000, or even TSH 2 million (around €1,000), depending on originality, finish and size.
In Dar es Salaam, the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society promotes this tradition through exhibitions and other events. Contemporary Tanzanian artists carrying on the legacy of Edward Saidi Tingatinga include Evarist Chikawe, Godfrey Semwaiko, John Kilaka, Thobias Minzi, Robino Ntila, David Mzuguno and Haji Chilonga.
The streets of Stone Town
The historic district of Zanzibar's capital is a melting pot of influences. British, Indian, Portuguese, Omani and Swahili influences intermingle with stunning harmony. In the narrow streets, carved doors alternate with graffiti painted here and there on the walls of this welcoming stone town. You have to lose yourself among its monuments, temples and palaces to come across some of the 500 gates that adorn the city. These world-famous gates reflected the prosperity of families. Between these symbols of ancient times, often esoteric graffiti appear without daring to occupy too much space. Ghosts, slave ships, Santa Claus - there's a little bit of everything here.
Away from the lanes, Space Invader has settled in the bush. The famous French street artist, who generally prefers urban areas, has chosen to make his mark here. His mosaic figures stand side by side with savannah animals in Tanzania. Space Invader likes to explore unlikely places. One was launched into space, another into the waters of Mexico. Why not the bush? The artist's website allows you to locate each of his works more specifically!
Nowadays
A space dedicated to contemporary art opened in Dar es Salaam in 2010. Founded on the initiative of the Danish Embassy, the Nafasi Art Space provides a creative space for 15 Tanzanian artists. International artists are welcomed in residence, their presence giving rise to the "chap chap", an event organized by the resident artist and open to all. During the chap chap, participants are introduced to new forms of artistic expression. The younger generation is trying to break away from the Tingatinga style, but lacks exhibition venues. For them, the best solution remains associations, as the government does not invest in the visual arts.
Among these forward-looking artists, Nayja Suleiman from Zanzibar paints vibrant portraits of women. In Tanzania, Lute Mwakisopile denounces hard labor and the role of artists in contemporary society.
Few women manage to break into the art world. Farhat Shukran Juma is fortunate to have the support of her family. Born in 1996, she has been passionate about painting since childhood. It was at the CAC in Stone Town that she trained in artistic techniques before developing the abstract style that has become her signature. To reach a wider audience, she sells her work alongside natural soaps. She admits, however, that there is still a long way to go before abstract painters feel understood in her country. Artist Evarist Chikawe, on the other hand, is delighted to be exhibiting at the Viiana Vipaii Foundation, but has had to stand up to his family in order to pursue his career.
In Zanzibar, the Cultural Arts Center is a unique venue that provides a space for creation, exhibition and exchange, with the aim of strengthening the network and the public.
Mwandale Mwanyekwa is one of the few women to have made her mark on the Tanzanian art scene. The artist is famous for her self-portraits carved in wood. She is frequently invited to exhibit her sculptures in Sweden, South Africa and the United States.
