Fourteen artists from Tanzania landed in Nairobi Kenya Wednesday 25, armed with a story to tell the city that is slowly becoming the country’s’ visual art hub. Armed with their works the artists will, like the migrating wildebeest, settle at the Village market.
As I made my way into the auditorium, I was welcomed with cool music and muffled sounds in both English and Kiswahili as the artists mingled with art lovers in a kind of symphony. I quickly saw Lutengano Mwakisopile lost in his phone; it wasn’t that hard to relate with him and to his work. There he was the legendary Raza Mohammed and Moses Luhanga whom we exchanged ideas ranging from environmental conservation to taking care of wildlife and the Serengeti highway impasse.
The art on display speaks volumes about the present day chaos. It unravels what lies in the middle of people and their lives, struggles through poverty and the evident dangers that lark behind their activities. It is about the beauty of interaction in the society and environmental changes among other things.
Amani Abeid, an illustrious nostalgia artist, Localfanatics, who is flexible as a graffiti artist and experimenter with wood as a media for his amazing paintings are also among the big names currently showcasing their art in Kenya together with; Cuthbert Semgoja, Vita Malulu, Ludovic Kaija, Haji Chilonga, Nadir Tharani, Masoud Kibwana, Cloud Chatanda, Thobias Minzi and Salum Kambi.
The artists are drawn from various art Galleries in Tanzania, seven come from Nafasi ArtSpace founded by Tanzania’s art Queen Rehema Chachage, while others from Vipaji Studio among other spaces.
The Tanzania Contemporary Art Expo features 14 artists from the republic of Tanzania and ends on February 6.
AfroWay would be bringing to you the profiles of the 14 artists.