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african art for sale in tanzania

Our Founder

Tinga Tinga African Art traces its roots back to the visionary founder, Edward Saidi Tingatinga, who was born in the year 1932 in the village of Namochelia, Mindu area, near Nakapanya village in the Southern region of Tanzania. From humble beginnings, Tingatinga sparked a nationwide movement in Tanzania that revolutionized the creation of African art and paintings.

In 1957, at the age of 25, Tingatinga left his home village to work as a sisal laborer in the Tanga region, located along the Indian Ocean. His relatives joined him in Tanga before he moved to Dar es Salaam, a major commercial city in Tanzania, in 1960. It was there that Tingatinga's simple idea took form - utilizing recycled, low-cost materials such as masonite squares, ceramic fragments, and bicycle paint, he began creating his unique style of African art.

Tingatinga's style was naive, yet bordering on surrealistic and humorous. He often depicted stereotypical African icons, such as wildlife and savannah landscapes, which quickly gained popularity among European residents and tourists. Eventually, Tingatinga was able to transition from a part-time job to a full-time profession as an African artist.

Today, Tinga Tinga African Art is created using oil and enamel paints on canvas. Although Tingatinga died tragically in 1972 after being shot by a police officer during a car chase, his legacy continues to live on. His style of African painting has been adopted by numerous African artists, and his ubiquitous style remains popular among audiences outside of Tanzania who admire the unique and captivating story behind the brand.

TingaTinga paintings have become one of the most popular styles of African paintings found in Eastern Africa. What once began as a simple idea for local artisans to survive has grown into a global brand cherished by art enthusiasts worldwide.

Our Mission

At our workshop in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, our team of over 100 skilled artists craft African Art pieces with meticulous attention to detail. Our passion for making these creations accessible to people worldwide drives us to ship them to every city and country on the globe. We are committed to providing great quality African-style paintings that have a positive impact not only on our customers but also on the local community's quality of life.

Tanzania is home to a thriving creative industry, and our objective is to create high-quality, visually stunning African paintings that reflect the unique talent of our local artists. With over 50 years of experience in the industry, we are the go-to African art gallery for customers seeking pieces tailored to their specific tastes and needs.

As a social enterprise, we are dedicated to improving the lives of our artists and their families by empowering them to break the cycle of poverty through access to education, healthcare, financial inclusion, and greater prosperity. We believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed, and we work to break down barriers to equality and representation in the workplace, supply and distribution chains, and society as a whole.

Our broad-ranging collection encompasses almost all African painting genres, ensuring that we cater to the widest possible audience globally. We focus on delivering an exceptional buying experience and supporting a worthy social cause in Tanzania, and thousands of our customers have praised the quality of our service. We invite you to try us out and experience the best in African Art.

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african artists making a painting

african paintings being made in tanzania

Our Production

We adopt a comprehensive approach to our production process that encompasses all aspects of painting, with a strong emphasis on financial and social inclusivity. As an ethical and responsible business, we prioritize the needs of all stakeholders, from production to our valued customers.

We hold ourselves to global standards of good health, safety, and equitable compensation for our workforce. Our use of export-quality canvases, paints, and packaging materials ensures that our customers receive only the highest-quality products. We are deeply committed to our talented artisans, and adhere to Fair Trade principles in our transactions with them.

In today's digital age, we believe that our customers should not have to pay exorbitant prices for exceptional, one-of-a-kind designs. Our retail model rejects the outdated, high-priced approach, instead leveraging our unique cultural heritage to establish a globally renowned brand.

In Tanzania, where resources are scarce, we prioritize ingenuity and resourcefulness to ensure our ethical practices are sustainable. This commitment has allowed us to not only survive but thrive, and will continue to guide our path forward.


african artist painting a picture

Our Vision

With an extensive network of African artists all across the country, we are the largest and most inspiring visual arts experience in Africa. Our collection is broad and extensive with a total number of more than 100 local talented artists working for us.

Our vision is to become one of the most formidable forces in the creative industry space on the continent and to export our paintings globally. We envision an online art gallery accessible to everyone as a vibrant virtual space in service of our community, to foster greater social engagement, critical thinking, and greater creativity.

Our ultimate ambition is to make a powerful contribution to the cultural life of Tanzania and the continent at large by collaborating with creative and marginalized communities to offer extraordinary African art experiences that engage, challenge and inspire diverse audiences all over the world. We are united by a common passion to offer authentic and meaningful experiences for people through African art; and a shared belief that through art we know ourselves, each other and the world, more deeply.

Our vision encompasses the transformation of the nascent and untapped potential of the visual creative industry in Tanzania and to leverage the unique talent found here and monetize this for the benefit of our African artists.

We are dedicated to achieving our vision in a socially-responsible manner, with the greatest level of business ethics.

Our Ethos

One of our main objectives is to encourage an awareness of the holistic nature of the African artist, whose inspiration derives from the highest sources and whose skill and dedication creates masterpieces which we can all recognize as part of our national heritage.

The gallery rekindles the awareness that form, pattern and colour in traditional arts are not simply aesthetically pleasing nor merely tools for design, but that embody a profound beauty; the beauty of the permanent that shines through in the world of the transient. With the purchase of our artworks, our customers can experience the beauty of Africa – a spiritual, sacred beauty, connecting the whole of creation.

Our African art gallery's holistic ethos holds that our artists are able to monetize their efforts and entirely provide a means of living and sustenance.

The kind of originality nurtured and respected at our gallery goes beyond focusing on producing exceptional artwork by particular individuals. Here, originality means ‘from the origin’, returning to first principles as well as cultural and artistic roots, nurturing them and bringing forth new shoots. It is this understanding of originality which enables the artists at the gallery to create contemporary arts through living traditions.

lady african artist smiling
african wall art for sale

Global Recognition

TingaTinga African paintings have garnered global attention and recognition, making them one of the most vibrant and sought-after forms of African art on the continent. With a wide international audience, our products are unique, creative and stylish, setting us apart from our competitors.

Our paintings have inspired the creation of Tinga Tinga Tales, a popular animated television series in the United Kingdom aimed at children aged three to six. The series features traditional African folk tales and the art of Tanzania, bringing to life a fantastical world of color, characters and transformation. The show has played a significant role in putting Tanzania and Tinga Tinga Paintings on the global map.

Through Tinga Tinga Tales, children and adults alike can immerse themselves in a world of myth, legend, and friendship, where animals live by their own rules in a world without humans. The show features vibrant colors, patterns, and whimsical animal characters, with stories that explore how our favorite animals came to be the way they are today. It is a world where you can fly too close to the sun, jump off clouds, and summon musical storms, where you can sing and dance with the dawn chorus or fall asleep under the stars. It is a magical world where animals transform before your very eyes, captivating audiences of all ages.

At our online store, we offer a wide selection of TingaTinga African paintings that capture the spirit of this unique art form. Each piece is handcrafted by skilled artisans, showcasing the vibrant colors and intricate patterns that make TingaTinga art so special. With our global shipping options, we make it easy for anyone to own a piece of this remarkable art form and experience the magic of Tinga Tinga Tales from the comfort of their own home.

Our Values

  • Compassion: We are kind and caring to everyone we encounter. We treat our artists with dignity and respect.
  • Accountability: Each of us is responsible for our words, our actions, and our results. We are accountable to all our stakeholders, including our customers, regulators and the society at large.
  • Respect: We value everyone and treat people with dignity and professionalism.
  • Integrity: We build trust through responsible actions and honest relationships.
  • Teamwork: We achieve more when we collaborate and all work together.
  • Promise to Customers: Creating a great customer experience begins with staying true to the words we speak and the bonds we make.
  • Diversity and Inclusion: We succeed by bringing different lived experiences and a range of backgrounds into a shared environment where everyone has equal opportunity.
  • Passion: We have a tireless ambition to be the best. Having a joy not just for the work itself but also the people around us, so that everyone can be bold, innovative, and creative.
  • Quality: Art studios are judged by the craftsmanship of their products and services, so the highest standards must be maintained.

Our objective is to make contemporary African art accessible to everyone by eliminating geographical, financial, or psychological barriers. Our inclusive approach gives professional artisans in Tanzania the possibility to market their paintings on to our platform.  

artist painting

Happy Customers Globally

At our African art online store, we pride ourselves on providing a comprehensive selection of authentic African art and paintings to customers across the globe. We have established a reputation as a trusted and authoritative source for African art, and have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our satisfied customers in nearly every country in the world.

Our commitment to fostering positive and productive relationships between artists, patrons, and galleries is at the heart of our success. We strive to continually showcase fresh, innovative work from our talented artists and to offer a diverse range of pieces to suit every taste and budget. We believe that our customers deserve the very best, and we go to great lengths to ensure their complete satisfaction.

Our dedication to exceptional customer service sets us apart in the industry. We are proud to have achieved a 100% customer satisfaction rate across our global clientele since our inception, a testament to our unwavering commitment to quality and authenticity. We are constantly seeking to improve and refine our approach to customer service, as we believe that engaged, satisfied customers are the key to our long-term success.

We warmly welcome art lovers and collectors from around the world to explore our extensive collection of African art and paintings. We are eager to receive your ideas and feedback, as we believe that collaboration and engagement are the cornerstones of our business. We stand behind our products and services, and are happy to provide references and a satisfaction guarantee.

We are passionate about African art and are committed to sharing its beauty and significance with the world. Join us in celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Africa through our exceptional collection of art and paintings.

alice holding her paintings
our african artist holding a painting

Largest Online Art Gallery in Africa

We take great pride in being one of the largest online African art galleries on the continent. Our mission is to empower our artists and their families by providing access to jobs in Tanzania and cutting out the middleman, allowing for maximum profit for our artisans. Through this, we are able to create more and better paying jobs for the community, generate more foreign exchange for the country, and contribute to its development.

We are deeply committed to creating value for our customers, artists, and society at large. As the largest and most successful online African art gallery on the continent, we are dedicated to exporting African art to a large international customer base. We have a large network of artists across Tanzania and partner with the largest logistics companies in the world, enabling us to export to every country in the world, free of charge.

Our efforts have established us as one of the world's largest players in the creative industry in Africa with a formidable workforce and global export logistics capacity. In addition, handmade artworks are exempt from import duties and sales taxes in most countries, providing an added incentive for our global customers to enjoy duty-free purchases from us. We are proud of our achievements and remain committed to expanding our reach and making a positive impact in our community and beyond.


Size Guide

Centimeters (CM)

Inches (IN)

50CM x 40CM

19 11/16 in X 15 3/4 in

50CM x 50CM

19 11/16 in X 19 11/16 in

60CM x 60CM

23 5/8 in X 23 5/8 in

70CM x 50CM

27 9/16 in X 19 11/16 in

80CM x 60CM

31 1/2 in X 23 5/8 in

100CM x 80CM

39 3/8 in X 31 1/2 in

140CM x 110CM

55 1/8 in X 43 5/16 in 

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