From a creative co-op in Tanzania emerges “Savannah Stories” by Ramadhani Mangula, a vibrant interpretation of some of East Africa’s most magnificent wildlife as told by a master of the TingaTinga art form. As one of the lead organizers for TingaTinga Arts Collective in Tanzania, Mr. Mangula has dedicated his life to passionately preserving and promoting this unique artform for a global audience. Through “Savannah Stories,” he now serves as both storyteller and artist, weaving a narrative that links new appreciators to the bold colors and rich traditions of Tanzanian TingaTinga.
With each purchase, you contribute your own voice to this movement’s global narrative, and connect yourself to a Tanzanian tradition that remains unbroken six decades after it was founded. See FAQs for Details!
The TingaTinga art movement traces its roots back to Edward Saidi TingaTinga, a visionary artist from Tanzania whose unpretentious paintings and positive outlook on life sparked an artistic resurgence that reshaped the creation of East African art for a global audience.
Having no artistic education and even less material to work with, Edward TingaTinga used whatever he could get his hands on, including low-cost materials such as Masonite squares, recycled ceramic fragments, and bicycle paint on wood. With seemingly simple sceneries and bold designs, Edward TingaTinga’s style reflected his lack of formal schooling- but it also reflected something much deeper: A burning passion for storytelling.
Contained within his playful landscapes of the African savannah and the animals and people that inhabited it, TingaTinga tapped into a deeper sense of the storytelling elements unique to the region- and instilled a sense of cultural pride and joy in all those who saw it. Before long, his colorful characters and “found canvas” creations gained a local following that allowed him to quit his job and pursue his craft as a full-time artist, and eventually start a movement.
These birds are very common in our zoos here in Tanzania. Although they are difficult to see sometimes because they hide in trees, when spotted, they are incredible to look at because their tails are long and full of colors. When they move them together, it is especially wonderful.
After seeing them on TV and in animal books as a child, I decided to go look for them and draw them in a TingaTinga style.
I believe love also exists in animals, but especially giraffes, which is why I painted them. They are very beautiful to look at on their own, but in pairs, their love is beautiful to see.
In TingaTinga paintings, giraffes are often used to mean the love between couples. When they nestle up to one another and stay close, they are one of nature’s truest beauties and people come from all over the world to Tanzania to see.
Elephants love their calves very much, just like humans do. They stay around and make sure they learn the ways of the savannah and protect them from being eaten by wild animals. After learning and observing this, I decided to create a painting to show their love.
A giraffe is a very special animal to Tanzanians and people all over the world. Because of their great height and long neck, they can see over the whole savannah and eat whatever they like. No tree is too tall, and no shrub too small. Since they also have long legs in addition to their long necks, their poses are very dramatic. Painting them in various positions is a treasure.
