Lilanga Wows Paris!

International Mon 18-10-2010

Lilanga Wows Paris!
By Osei G Kofi | AfricanColours.com

Late last year a friend in the auction business telephoned to excitedly inform me that Hermes of Paris was going to add the art of George Lilanga to its famed silk scarves series.

Lilanga-as-Hermes-Scarf.

^{Tingatinga motif}^{scarf by George Lilanga at Hermes, Paris}

Now, I am not one who readily goes for any apparel that’s used to cover the space between the head and the shoulder. It was quite a relief when I put behind me those professions where a gentleman must knot a narrow piece of cloth around the neck in order to be considered properly dressed.

But, hearing Hermes would release a Lilanga scarf, in other words, a Tingatinga motif scarf, was mighty good news.

Why? How? The first implication was, it meant Tingatinga art had finally, utterly, arrived. It’s entered the canons of haute couture, and that moneyed Chinese, Russians, Eskimos, Latinos or newly-wealthy Xhosas and Zulus might get to confront this distinctive vibrant art form and gush: “Wow, what’s this, who made this, where does it come from, I want one.” Not just the scarf, but the real article too, if you please.

On a purely self-interest level, the poised Hermes event told me my little cache of Lilanga and Tingatinga artworks would appreciate even further. So there!

For months after the telephone conversation and every time I came across a Hermes boutique, I drove in there to ask about the Lilanga scarf. I was told “not yet received,” or “we had a few but sold out.”

Lilanga's-work-at-Hermes-Paris

^{Mme Sylvie}^{displays Lilanga's scarf at Hermes boutique}

So imagine the buzz I felt when transiting through Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport on my way to Johannesburg last week I popped into Hermes and – bingo, there it was, the Lilanga scarf, in all its shimmering, silken luxury. Mme Sylvie, the saleslady, was kind enough to take it off from its wrapping and pose with it for me, even though she knew she wasn’t going to make any sale for I’d told her upfront that, at Euro 280 a pop, I couldn’t afford to buy one for my significant other or send one to Kenya for Adama Diawara to showcase in his Gallery Watatu.

Of course, Lilanga had long ago pierced through outside of Africa, back in the late seventies. He was shown at the Mary knoll Ossining Centre in New York in 1978 and appeared in the hallowed corridors of the World Bank in Washington, same year, after which he was furiously copied by Keith Haring.

Lilanga also took part in the 1985 travelling exhibition that stopped in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Best of all, he took part in the landmark "Africa Remix" road show at a series of chic-chic locales in Europe, Japan and Houston in 2004-2006 during which he, Esther Mahlangu and Cheri Samba were, arguably, the hugest wow factor.

^{Art by Esther Mahlangu}

For years I’ve been trying to get friends who collect art for their enjoyment and as egg nest to bequeath to their offspring, to look seriously at first generation Tingatinga art (Eduardo Saidi himself of course, followed by Mpata, Lilanga, Chiwaya, Tedo, Mzuguno, Mruta, Adeusi Mandu, Abdallah Ajaba, JJA Linda et al).

While the Japanese cottoned on to this years ago, and while some Ad firms in South Africa have began to pinch the genre for some of their marketing billboards, and while UNAIDS Geneva has borrowed Tingatinga art to push their life-saving messages, alas, most folks in the rest of Africa seemed quite impervious to it all.

David-Mzunguno untitled

^{Untitled by David Mzunguno}

A word, free of charge, to the wise is enough.

Osei G. Kofi, Nana Dede-Art Africa Investment, Geneva.

Posted By: Maggie Otieno

skip to top

Your Comments

Kofi Dawson: the works ore so vibrant thanks.

Alex Drummer: The article requires some corrections and comments. George Lilanga never was a follower of E. S. Tingatinga and didn't belong at any time to the Tingatinga artists. The really roots of the lifetime artwork of George Lilanga are Makonde carvings and then – starting at his time at Nyumba ya Sanaa in Dar-es-Salaam in the 1970s – drawings, batiks and special (with masterworks already from the 1980s) etchings. At present, it is tried merely to make advertisement with the name Lilanga for Tingatinga mass-production. What nonsense! On internet there is a discussion about the alleged Lilanga scarf of Hermes already since spring 2010 (e.g. look: http://total-knockout.blogspot.com/2010/03/lilanga-carre-scarf-za-michoro-ya.html). For example a Blogger posted this: I wonder though if Lilanga gave permission for his artwork to be used in this way. How much does he or his family get from the sale of each $500 scarf? My guess is nothing!! Hope Tanzanian artists learn to copyright their work…otherwise huu ni wizi mtupu!! Another Blogger answered: Of course, till today there is no proof that the dealer have the authorization of the deceased George Lilanga or his heirs. Also it seems that this motif possibly was produced after the death of George Lilanga, maybe by one of his late helpers. The first scarf was now sold on ebay for a price much lower than $500 which means less than the half. The original painting of this motif on hardboard or canvas would bring even with phony certificates of authenticity (COA) from the known German dealer Lorenz or the National Gallery Firenze (NGF - Parri and Faccenda) not more than $100... Nyama usiyokula hukata kubwa (The piece of meat which you do not chew, you cut big). I think it is high time to report about these connections. Alex Drummer is an independent art critic from Africa

Alex Drummer: It is not necessary to balance my comment. But it is necessary to use trustful sources. I will give you an example. Interview Kenji Shiraishi with Lilanga in autumn 1998: Question: Were there also influences with your art through other artists? Did you get inspiration from paintings of other artists? Answer Lilanga: No. I carved Shetanis. Therefore, my paintings now look so. The Shetani appeared in my head from the beginning and since then, I work so. Therefore, everything can turn into a Shetani (end quotation). In addition, dear Mr. Augusta, you should notice that square board paintings had no importance in the artistic development of Lilanga. It makes no sense to talk about alleged influence of Tingatinga artists and focus the view only on the late Lilanga workshop (some calls this "factory"). Instead of this you should check out at which time the first hardboard painting in the Tingatinga square format was produced at Lilanga workshop because the market asked for such handy measurements. You will wonder.

Daniel Augusta: I will balance your comment. Lilanga projected his Makonde soul using the Tinga Tinga tecnique, both the square boards and enamel are used in Lilanga art. Second, Noel Kapanda, a Tinga Tinga painter delivered the paintings to Lilanga as well as Mchimbi, also Tinga Tinga. Mchisa´s success as copyist of Lilanga art is indisputable fact - his paintings are shown at National Gallery Firenze. Mchisa is Tinga Tinga panter. Shall I continue or does it convince you there is a link between Lilanga and Tinga Tinga? All this said, I agree that Lilanga was not Tinga Tinga painter. Further you should know that Tanzanians do nod need to register the art works to get copyright but it could help them when they meet people with opinions like you. You feel absolutly comfortable that the artist will not get any royalties, it seems. To other bloggers: don´t accuse anybody until you get information. Jean Pigozzi paid for copyright as far as I know. This is Daniel Augusta from Tingatinga Cooperative, Tanzania. For more stories about Lilanga look on www.lilanga.org or www.tingatingastudio.com (this is hidden advertisement :) )

margaretta wa gacheru: Thanks to Kofi for giving a hint of Tingatinga 'movement's historical background. Many more thanks to Alex Drummer for setting record straight. As he suggests, many are profiting from the Tanzanian art form, but few people bother to get historical record straight. Also, these artists deserve to be recognized, especially the late Edward Saidi Tingatinga. And i too wonder how much of the scarf sales will go back to Tanzanian artists? Sady, we know: none.

virginie biscarat: This carré is the outcome of a meeting between Pierre Alexis Dumas, artistic director at Hermès, and Jean Pigozzi,; a great collector of African modern art. Impressed by the power of these works, their cultural significance and playful fantasy, he wanted to reproduce on silk a work by George Lilanga of the Makonde people in Mozambique. Makonde art is full of humour and has a sense of caricature; it is the expression of a mythical world, of moral and cultural values and the daily life of a community.

skip to top

African Artists Portfolios

Geraldine Robarts is a Mixed Media Artist

Click To View All African Artist Portfolios

Kaafiri Kariuki at the Creativity Gallery

Shades of Time: An exhibition by Kaafiri Kariuki at the Creativity Gallery National Museum of Kenya

Features By Regions

Featured Artist Portfolio

Title: Making Ways
Name: Tabitha Wa Thuku
Country: Kenya
Medium: Mixed media on heavy canvas
Size: 149 X 140 cms
Click here to view