Tingatinga (painting)

Punda Milia Baba na Mama – painting in Tingatinga style by Rubuni Rashidi Sais (2021)

Tingatinga (also spelt Tinga-tinga or Tinga Tinga) is a painting style that originated in East Africa. Tingatinga is one of the most widely represented forms of tourist-oriented paintings in Tanzania, Kenya and neighbouring countries. The genre is named after its founder, Tanzanian painter Edward Tingatinga. Tinga Tinga also insipired kids animation tales, namely Tinga Tinga Tales.

The Tingatinga school of painting sold their work in Oyster Bay, Dar es Salaam. Picture from 1973.

Tingatinga is traditionally made on masonite, using several layers of bicycle paint, which makes for brilliant and highly saturated colours. Many elements of the style are related to the requirements of the tourist-oriented market; for example, the paintings are usually small so they can be easily transported, and subjects are intended to appeal to Europeans and Americans (e.g. the big five and other wild fauna). In this sense, Tingatinga paintings can be considered a form of "airport painting".[1] The drawings themselves can be described as both naïve and caricatural; humour and sarcasm are often explicit.

  1. ^ "Exploring the Tingatinga Art Movement in Tanzania". Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2016.

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