27 October 2021
Tingatinga is a distinctive, colourful style of painting. It emerged in Tanzania during the second half of the 20th century, and this bold art form quickly spread to other parts of East Africa. The Tanzanian Tingatinga tradition grew out of a straightforward idea: take cheap, recycled materials such as masonite squares, bits of ceramic and bicycle paint and turn them into beautiful artwork. What comes out is something quite special.
Below we look more closely at Tingatinga as an art form before stepping into the world of Tingatinga Paintings. Based in Dar es Salaam, this local Tanzanian art studio has a great deal more to offer than the ideal souvenir from your luxury holiday in Tanzania.
The Perfect Tanzania Souvenir
Because they are painted on masonite, Tingatinga paintings usually have strikingly strong colours. Yet whether the surface is canvas, wood or mottled watercolour paper, Tingatinga works have a tactile feel that makes them stand out. As they are traditionally painted on small boards and show bold, colourful scenes of Tanzania’s plants and animals, Tingatinga pieces are easy to carry home. That is why, over the last 100 years, this uniquely African style has grown into one of the best-loved souvenirs from Tanzania. Today Tingatinga has evolved to take in modern techniques, other materials and a broad range of sizes.
Where to buy Tingatinga art
Anyone searching for a lovely piece of Tingatinga art will find no shortage of options. Size, quality and level of craftsmanship, however, can differ enormously! If you want a premium piece of African art, few local studios in Tanzania can match the Tingatinga African Art studio in Dar es Salaam, the country’s bustling capital.
“Every painting we make is one of a kind,” the Tingatinga African Art studio told Your Tanzania Trip. “There is real satisfaction in buying a unique piece of art that you cannot find anywhere else. Our African paintings are made by hand in Tanzania. Just like handmade clothes or furniture, they carry the mark of the person who made them. Our painters create works that lift the spirit and turn a house into a home.”
Tingatinga painters pour real passion into their work. And a Tingatinga painting does more than look beautiful on the wall at home, in the office or in a cosy boutique. When you buy a local Tanzanian painting you support the artists directly, which makes it a far more sustainable, community-minded souvenir.
Tingatinga Paintings: keeping a legend alive
Edward Tingatinga, the founder of Tingatinga Paintings, was born in the 1930s in the settlement of Mindu. You will not find that place on a present-day road map of Tanzania. Little of the settlement remains, and sadly the house where he was born has disappeared entirely. Even so, the legend of this gifted African artist lives on in The Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society.
The Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society, sometimes known as the Tingatinga School, can be found next to Morogoro Stores in Tanzania’s capital. Around 100 gifted artists work within this creative cooperative, expressing their talent and creativity through these colourful pieces. Many of them regard themselves as Tingatinga’s heirs and keep to the founder’s style, while others try out new forms and motifs, giving art lovers a wonderfully varied and evolving range.
The aim of the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society is to promote the lively, magical and unique beauty of Tanzanian culture. On one side, the cooperative runs as a school for painting in the Tingatinga style; on the other, it markets the artwork internationally so that its members can make a living.
Planning a luxury safari in Tanzania? Make your way to Dar es Salaam and call on the gifted team of The Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society. Or buy a unique, lovingly handmade piece through the official website of the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society at www.TingatingaArt.com.
