Bringing the colours, culture and creativity of African artists into homes around the world.
Edward Saidi Tingatinga was the Tanzanian artist whose creativity gave rise to one of East Africa’s most distinctive painting traditions. Born in 1932, he moved to Dar es Salaam in the early 1960s, where he began developing a unique artistic style inspired by the wildlife, landscapes and everyday life of Tanzania.
Working with simple materials, including recycled boards and enamel paint, Tingatinga created vibrant, imaginative scenes characterised by bold colours, distinctive patterns and striking depictions of African animals. His work was accessible yet unmistakable, and it inspired other artists to learn and develop the style.
Although Edward Tingatinga died in 1972, aged approximately 40, his artistic legacy continued through the painters who followed him. Today, Tingatinga art remains a celebrated expression of Tanzanian creativity, evolving through generations of artists while retaining its distinctive character.
We are proud to share this remarkable tradition with art lovers around the world, connecting customers with handmade paintings created by talented artists in Tanzania.
Our mission is to share the beauty of authentic African art with the world while creating meaningful opportunities for talented artists in Tanzania.
We connect customers across the globe with handmade paintings that celebrate Tanzania’s wildlife, landscapes, culture and artistic heritage. We work directly with local artists, helping them share their skills and creativity with an international audience while supporting the continuation of the Tingatinga painting tradition.
Every painting tells a story — of artistic skill, cultural heritage and the people behind the brushstrokes. By bringing these works into homes around the world, we aim to make African art more accessible while helping Tanzanian artists gain recognition for their work.
Tingatinga art is renowned for its vibrant colours, bold outlines, intricate patterns and expressive depictions of African wildlife, landscapes and everyday life. Traditionally, artists used enamel paints on hardboard, creating the distinctive glossy finish associated with the style. Today, artists continue to honour these techniques while adapting their materials and methods to different artistic preferences.
Every painting we offer is created by artists in Tanzania, bringing together individual skill, creativity and a deep connection to the subjects they portray. From the first outlines to the final details, each piece develops through the artist’s hands, resulting in artwork with its own character and personality.
Our paintings are made to order, allowing us to prepare each piece for your selection rather than relying solely on pre-produced stock. This approach helps us offer a range of designs and sizes while giving our artists the opportunity to create artwork for customers around the world.
Production typically takes 7–14 days, depending on the artwork and order requirements. Once your painting is ready, we carefully prepare it for international shipping so it can travel from Tanzania to your home.
Step inside our Tanzanian studio and discover the care, colour and craftsmanship behind our handmade African art.
We envision a world where African art is celebrated, valued and collected in homes across the globe, and where the artists who create it receive greater recognition for their talent and creativity.
Through TingatingaArt.com, we aim to make authentic Tanzanian art accessible to a growing international audience while helping preserve the Tingatinga tradition for future generations. We want to create more opportunities for local artists to share their work beyond Tanzania, connect directly with art lovers worldwide, and build sustainable livelihoods through their creativity.
Our vision goes beyond selling paintings. It is about sharing stories, celebrating cultural heritage and ensuring that the richness of Tanzania’s artistic traditions continues to inspire people around the world.
When you buy a Tingatinga painting from us, you're supporting artists and their families in Tanzania. This isn't just marketing language—it's how our business model actually works.
Direct Employment: We work directly with artists in our Dar es Salaam studio. They're not contractors or freelancers we occasionally commission—they're part of our team, creating paintings full-time. This provides stable income that supports their families, pays for children's education, and contributes to their communities.
Fair Compensation: Artists receive fair wages for their work. We've structured our business to eliminate the traditional gallery system where middlemen take the majority of profits. Because we sell directly to customers online, more of each sale goes to the artists who create the work.
Preserving Cultural Heritage: Every Tingatinga painting purchased helps keep this artistic tradition alive. When artists can earn sustainable livelihoods from their craft, they continue creating, pass techniques to younger artists, and ensure Tingatinga art thrives for future generations.
Community Impact: Beyond individual artists, these jobs support families and local economies in Dar es Salaam. When artists earn good incomes, they spend that money locally—on housing, food, education, healthcare—creating ripple effects throughout their communities.
Since 1968, we've provided employment and opportunities for Tanzanian artists specializing in Tingatinga painting. Your purchase isn't just buying art—it's participating in an economic model that values artists, preserves culture, and creates sustainable livelihoods in Tanzania.
Tingatinga art's influence extends far beyond gallery walls and into homes around the world. This vibrant painting, featuring the signature bold colors, whimsical birds, and lush floral patterns characteristic of Tingatinga style, now brightens a customer's living space—a testament to how this distinctive Tanzanian art form has captured hearts globally.
In 2010, the BBC launched "Tinga Tinga Tales," an animated children's television series inspired by Tingatinga painting style. The show, aimed at children aged 3-6, uses the same vibrant colors and playful animal characters to tell traditional African folk tales. Each episode explores origin stories—"Why do zebras have stripes?" "Why do elephants have trunks?"—in a colorful animated world that faithfully captures the spirit of Tingatinga paintings.
The series has aired in over 100 countries, introducing millions of children worldwide to Tanzanian culture and the distinctive Tingatinga aesthetic. This global reach has played a significant role in raising awareness of Tingatinga art and Tanzania's cultural heritage. From gallery exhibitions to home collections to children's television, this artistic tradition—which started with one man painting with bicycle enamel—continues to influence and inspire people around the world.
From Tanzania to homes across the globe, our paintings bring colour, character and a touch of African heritage into people's lives.
We're proud to have shared our handmade Tingatinga paintings with customers in countries around the world. Every order represents more than a painting reaching a new home—it is an opportunity to share Tanzanian creativity, celebrate a unique artistic tradition and connect people with the artists behind the work.
Our customers' trust means everything to us. We strive to make every experience personal, from helping you choose the right artwork to carefully preparing your order for its journey from Tanzania.
Thank you to everyone who has welcomed our art into their homes and supported the talented artists who create it.
READ THE REVIEWS ONLINE
Rooted in Tanzania's rich artistic traditions, TingatingaArt.com brings authentic, handmade African paintings to art lovers around the world. Based in Dar es Salaam, we work with talented local artists to share their creativity and celebrate the distinctive character of Tingatinga art.
We believe artists deserve recognition for their skills and opportunities to share their work with an international audience. By connecting customers directly with the paintings and the people who create them, we aim to support local artistic livelihoods while making Tanzanian art more accessible worldwide.
Our paintings have reached collectors and homes across more than 40 countries, helping introduce the beauty of Tanzanian art to a growing international audience. With worldwide shipping and a commitment to careful order preparation, we make it easier for customers to discover and enjoy artwork created in Tanzania.
As we continue to grow, our commitment remains the same: to celebrate Tanzanian creativity, share African artistic traditions and build meaningful connections between artists and art lovers around the world.
|
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 |
