Basic Information about Tinga Tinga

Flier

Video

This amateur video was shot on the first day of 2010. It shows the the Tingatinga Cooperative outside the building. The author is Dr. Libo from China, a big fan of Tinga Tinga art. He has a "Dr. Libo blog".

Photos from left: 1. Daimu Zuberi, 2. Iddi Issa, 3. Paintings of Steven Lewis, 4. John Kilaka, painting for FIFA

Facts

• Name of art: Tinga Tinga or Tingatinga
• Location: Tanzania, East Africa
• Estimated number of painters: Up to 1000
• Started in year: 1968
• Founder: Edward Saidi Tingatinga (ca 1936 - 1972, born in Mindu in south Tanzania)
• Teqniques: Mostly enamel colours on canvas or cealing board
• Derivative Products: T-shirts, pencils, plates and others
• Roots: wall paintings in south Tanzania, several hundreds years of tradition
• Institutions: Tingatinga Arts Co-operative Society and Tingatinga Arts Promotional Society
• Number of Exhibtions: ca 5-10 exhibitions running parallell. (2009)
• Supporting organisations: HELVETAS (Switzerland), BASATA (National Arts Council of Tanzania)
• Most popular in: Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Japan
• Current Projects: FIFA - official art collection, Walt Disney - animated films Tinga Tinga Tales, African Art Product - Memo Card Game
• Most Expensive Painting: over £11.000 sold in Sotheby´s by George Lilanga (The Lilanga art has connection with Tinga Tinga art)
• The cheapest paintings: £1-£5 for 20x20cm (Only available in Tanzania)
• New styles developed by: George Lilanga, John Kilaka, Omari Amonde, Abdul Mkura, Mohamed Charinda, David Mzuguno, Sauyki Matindiko
• The largest image: Wall painting in Copenhagen, Denmark (ca 5 floors high building)
• The oldest painter: Omari Amonde, over 70 years old (the last living student of E.S.Tingatinga)
• The greatest scholars: Jesper Kirknaes (Denmark), Merit Teisen (Denmark), Yves Goscinny (Belgium) (I know also quite much about Tinga Tinga)
• Informative Websites: www.tingatinga.org, www.tingatingastories.com, www.tingatingamemo.com
• Books: Tingatinga - Popular art from Tanzania by Yves Goscinny
• Tinga Tinga women: ca 10 (out of hundreds painters)
• Typical themes: Animals. Very popular is leopard, giraffe and birds. Cities and villages are also depicted

I am welcoming any feedback in order to revise the facts about Tinga Tinga

"Tingatinga paintings have grown to become world famous and a hallmark of indigigenous Tanzanian art of which we are most proud. Unfortunately, very few people abroad have seen original Tingatinga paintings, the market beeing full reproductions and immitations". By Benjamin William Mpaka, The previous President of the United Republic of Tanzania (source: Christine Hatz, Tingatinga, 1996)

"Tinga Tinga art existed for a long time, as can be seen from the ancient rock-drawings in certain regions of Tanzania. Also wall-painting, that is decoration of house-walls with different shades of clay - red, blak and white - has long been practised in the southern and central regions. These pictures show mostly animals and birds, sometimes also human figures" By Deo Kafwa, previous Marketing MAnager of Nyumba ya Sanaa (source: Christine Hatz, Tingatinga, 1996)

"It is artists way of survival. A survival. But what they sell is so much more than the tourists can put into their walls. They sell their souls, they sell their thoughts. They sell their life, their hardship. They sell food, they sell because it is the only way". By Doreen Mandawa, a local expatriot artist

"I have discovered that many of the images are mass-produced, however, those particular would be the ones the artists knew they could sell to all kind of tourists. On the other hand, they also always seem to be working on the other paintings, somehow more personal. For the artists to have enough money to be able to work on the more personalised paintings they need to produce the ones that they "know by heart" so as to make a living." By Pernille Nessje, researcher

"Art very much exists in Tanzania, but has been subdued; with no places to exhibit, the artists have simply gone underground and built around them a survival network that will allow them to reach the better season...." By Yves Goscinny. An art critics from Belgium who lived in Tanzania for more than 10 years

Photos from Left: 1. Omari Amonde, 2. Z.Chimwanda, 3. Daimu Zuberi, 4. Agnes Mpata

Who?

My name is Daniel Augusta and I have been working with Tanzanian artists for the last three years. Recently I have been employed by Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) as a manager. I studied physics and environmental sciences at Chalmers University and the University of Gothenborg in Sweden. I have participated in two environmental projects in Kenya and Tanzania before I got into African art.

Why?

The aim of this website is to make you happy either by seeing the art or reading about the people who create it. This website is dedicated to all Tinga Tinga artists and all who love Tinga Tinga.