Have you often wondered why the Elephant has a long trunk, or why a Tortoise has a broken shell… a pre-school series, Tinga Tinga Tales reveals all.

Each film will be told in a traditional storytelling way of how the animal came to be.

52 x 11 minute episodes released in February 2010, on the television network Cbeebies UK. Produced on location in Kenya by Tiger Aspect Productions in conjunction with Homeboyz Entertainment, the show draws upon the inspiring talent of local artists and musicians and is expertly computer-animated using beautiful, hand-painted imagery.

50 African animators, illustrators, artists, designers, editors, audio technicians, production staff and musicians have bought a show together called Tinga Tinga Tales.

African Tinagtinga Art is primarily produced and sold from East Africa. The artist often paints bright, vibrant folk like animated animals. Tinga Tinga artwork originated from African artist Eduardo Saidi Tingatinga in 1960 in Tanzania. Eduardo Saidi Tingatinga was a self taught painter, with only 4 years of primary school education. He was just starting to receive recognition for his square board-paintings, when his life was cut short in 1972, Eduardo was mistaken for a fleeing thief and fatally shot by the police. Before he died he started to attracted young followers wanting to imitate his style.

That’s when the Tingtinga Arts Co-Operative Society was formed. (TACS) The Tingatinga Arts Co-operative Society in Dar es Salaam was the visual inspiration for Tinga Tinga Tales. Members of TACS have taught many artists who have gone on to become recognized masters in their field. Some painters have moved to other parts of Tanzania and even abroad. No matter where these artists reside they remain linked to each other and to their homeland by family, friendship and, of course, their beautiful artwork. Traditional Tingatinga Art is painted using bright enamel bicycle paint, making these paintings extremely hardy to last a life time. Tingatinga Art is extremely popular with tourists becoming commonly known as “Airport Art”

Children will be fascinated of how the animals came to be. Tingatinga Tales is an education filled with laughter and joy.

P.S. Suitable for the whole family.

All the best
Tania Bale
African Art Online.Com

Congratulations, the winner of our March 2013 African Batik was Bron Kelly.

We will draw one winner every month for the rest of 2013.

Once you have entered your name once, that’s it. Your good to go for the rest of the year. Just keep your eye out for our email once a month to see if your our next lucky winner.

You can enter here or there is a form to the right of this page.

Look forward to you joining our African Art community.

Regards

Tania Bale

African Art Online

Nigerian artist Chidi A. Okoye  has put together a wonderful collection of limited edition Pop Art on canvas.

There is a fabulous arrangement of famous faces all on canvas.

Michael Jackson teamed up with Nelson Mandela.

Jackie Kennedy paired with Michelle Obama, awesome!

Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela extraordinary.

Other pop art includes, the gorgeous Hallie berry, Dieago Maradonna, Fala Kuti, Winnie Mandela just to name a few.

You can view the full collection of pop art  paintings here

Until next time.
Smile and be happy :)

Tania Bale
African Art Online

Whilst in Tanzania, I meet a really cool guy, his name is John.

John is 76 years old and lives in Arusha, East Africa. He’s a very talented man, with a special skill.

John hand crafts African Candle wax batiks.

John walks the streets from dusk till dawn, promoting and selling his African batiks to the 1000’s of tourists that pass through. I admire his willingness at 75.

The entire process can take up to 2-3 days to complete one standard “27.5×21.5” African batik.

Firstly, John draws the design often symbolic to the African Culture, animals, faith, work, motherhood, dancing and playing traditional instruments.

The next step is to pour hot wax on the selected area’s of the fabric, this is left to dry. John then applies the dye to the un-waxed area. The wax prevents the different color dye’s merging together.

No two batiks will ever be the same, as they are all hand designed.

African candle wax batiks are made from 100% cotton.

Gorgeous colors to enhance any room in your home or office.

The candle wax batiks are easily cared for. Simply sponge down with a damp cloth, this keeps them dust free. To keep wrinkle free, you may iron the reverse side on a very low temperature.

African batiks look fabulous framed or unframed.

I love these batiks, I’ve framed a few of the animal batiks and hung them in my children’s bedroom. They look really cool.

Chat soon.
Tania Bale
African Art Online

Cultural Heritage is a unique cultural center on the outskirts of Arusha, Tanzania. They have curio shops, a jewellery boutique, a Tanzanite and precious stone counter, a restaurant, bargain center and outstanding commercial art gallery.

The Fine Art and Antiques collection is the only one of its kind in the world, ranging from African antiques to contemporary and wildlife painting and sculpture and photography. You will be dazzled by our assembly of art and artifacts. The Gallery is a breath taking feat of engineering and artful display that will leave you awe-struck.

The Gallery was opened in 2010 after many years of imaging and five years of construction. The unique exterior was designed by our very own Director while the interior is the brainchild of Studio Infinity, a firm of architects from Nairobi.

The Gallery’s exterior is inspired by a drum, shield and spear; well known African objects charged with traditional meanings. The spear represents survival and strength and us a symbol of masculinity, pride and prestige. The shield signifies safety and shelter and represents bravery and identity. The drum is a symbol of maternity and community as well as a means of communication and celebration.

Together these resonate with the gallery’s role in the community – to represents, communication and celebrate Africa’s cultural heritage.

View a stunning collection of African Ethnographics, A collectors haven!!!

Enjoy!!!
Tania Bale
African Art Online.Com

Novica in association with National Geographic has made a huge impact for many Artisan’s around the globe.

Novica was the  first-ever micro finance website where customers can purchase products and lend money directly to artisans.

Now,  into their 10th anniversary, Novica continues  helping artisans expand their businesses by providing access to micro credit.

In the Novica spirit, they cut out all the financial middlemen and took the matter into their own hands!

With no middlemen involved in the process, the Artisan’s Loans carry 0% interest.

Yes – artisans will not be charged any interest. This revolutionary concept is possible only because Novica has offices in developing nations working directly with artisans and fulfilling customer orders. Now, Novica’s offices will also serve as disbursement centers for Artisan Loans, providing artisans access to the credit that they need to grow. It’s a very exciting time.

The micro finance program is crucial to helping artisans attain funds in order to expand their crafts and workmanship.

There are a few artists from Africa that are currently involved in the micro finance program, such as Chief Carver Nana Frimpong.

Nana Frimpong was in need of more raw materials and to purchase a wood cutting machine. Nana also employs several workers, which he feels solely responsible to keep them employed.

Nana Frimpong’s loan request was for $1,000, this loan request has recently been fully funded.

A detailed list of the current microfinance loans can be found here at Novica’s Micro finance List
The list also allows people to see who has helped in funding that particular artist.

View artists from Africa, Bali, Brazil, Andes.

Even a small loan makes a great difference, helping an artist achieve the vision they have for their business and their future.

Go check out the artists and the wonderful range of beautiful products.

I have personally purchased from Novica. A set of 6 Amethyst blown glass goblets by Javier and Efrén, from Mexico.
I’m almost to scared to use them, they are so beautiful.
Fantastic work.

Well done Novica!

All the best

Tania Bale
African Art Online

WIN FREE STUFF!!

Once a month throughout 2013 we are giving away a unique African Candle Wax Batik of your choice. Simply enter your name and email address, then keep an eye out in your inbox to see if your our lucky winner!

Couldn’t be more easier than that.

Head on over to our face book page. the link will automatically take you to our competition page, there you can fill in your details.

WIN FREE STUFF !

If you have any questions please contact us here

All the best and good luck :)

Regards

African Art Online.Com

Ricardo is a student attending Pasadena City College, USA.
His professor assigned them to read a blog regarding African Art,

Ricardo says
“Well I found that your blog is the most interesting one so I picked it to do my assignment on.

I was wondering if you could answer a few questions regarding your role with African Art. I hope it does not take too much time of your schedule.

1. How did you become involved with African art.
2. Did you receive a degree from a school for African art or is it just a hobby?
3. Are you currently working on any papers or shows or exhibitions or conferences regarding African art?
4. How long have you been in the field?
5. Where do you get your info you post on the blog? like do you have sources or you do your own research?”

We where very honored and glad to help answer Ricardo’s questions.

Attached is the final version of his essay, which he received an A.

Well done Ricardo. 

Ricardo Martinez

Kris Schomaker

Art 2 250

November 1, 2010

Humanitarianism Through Art

Stepping foot on any part of Africa is like stepping into an art gallery. There is art to be taken in with every blink and every breath. With a little imagination and creativity anyone can share this art gallery with the world. Such is the case with modern information technology and more precisely the Internet and art. There is virtually no place that the Internet isn’t or at the very least, can’t inform on. Today’s diaries are no longer being written on paper and for the writers eyes only—they are being written in the form of blogs or web logs. Blogs are reverse chronological posts on a website about any one topic or many. Individuals use this method to put out diverse pieces of information for anyone with an Internet connection to find. One such person is Tania Bale of blog.AfricanArtOnline.com. Her contribution to the Dark Continent is to promote its art to the world and to help those whose hands help paint, mold, carve or otherwise define their culture.

Tania Bale is a New Zealand citizen who became interested in African art during her trips to Tanzania, a country on the western part of Africa. Her in-laws live there and naturally family visits led her to the continent. Once there she says she “[fell] in love with the arts and the culture”. It is not surprising that the outsider would fall in love with Tanzania when the motto on her in-laws Meserani Snake Park is “arrive as stranger, leave as friend”. Mrs. Bale’s reason for beginning her blog was to promote her favorite style of African art, the Tanzanian native form Tingatinga art, aptly named so after the original master, Eduardo Saidi Tingatinga. Tingatinga art is best known for the use of vibrant colors of bicycle paint on masonite, a type of hardboard. This type of art often has animal as well as human subjects depicted with colors not natural to it. Mr. Tingatinga’s art can be considered cartoonish but the pieces are considerably more complex. Mrs. Bale’s adamant passion of Tingatinga art is helping her pursue an ambassadorship to the art form for New Zealand.

Tania Bales efforts to promote Tingatinga art are also leading her, I believe, to a more humanitarian role than ambassador. Though not specifically stated by her that she is on a mission, her actions definitely define her as a type of humanitarian through art. As stated previously the motive for her blog was to promote Tingatinga’s art form, but now she promotes and sells various forms of African art. She does this because native artists don’t have the resources to promote their own art to the world, Mrs. Bale states “It can be extremely difficult for the artists in Africa to showcase their work, so with our help, we now help the artists provide for themselves and their families. It’s a great feeling.” In Tanzania local artist depend on the word of mouth from tourism, and even then only if they buy local art. By promoting other artist’s art she is ensuring that they become known and sought after and in return they receive income for their art. Mrs. Bale also donates ten percent of all proceeds to Maasai Land community services as well as the Meserani Snake Park which is not only a sanctuary for snakes but also a clinic for the local snake bite victims as well as other ill patients.

African Art Online blog’s timeline begins on March 2008 with at least one post per month after that. The first post addresses the love for Tingatinga’s art by giving a brief summary of the man himself and how the art survived through a few disciples of his. She often introduces new artists along with their art for the readers to view and have a better understanding of why his/her art is how it is. Following the post from the original date one can take a look inside her mind and see what motivates the blogger. Not only is art a motivation for her but also the people and culture which can be seen as art itself. Elspeth Huxley said it best, “Africa is a cruel country; it takes your heart and grinds it into powdered stone – and no one minds”, I can only assume this is how she feels about Tanzania. It has taken her by the heart and she doesn’t mind. The artists and the people of Tanzania are her motivation, one that makes her want to help them in any way she can. The area in Tanzania where she spends most of her time while in Africa is home to the Maasai people. In one of her posts she relays the London Marathon event in which six Maasai warriors ran the marathon in order to raise money for water wells and lines to carry potable water for their people. Empathetic posts like this and about the help the Meserani Snake Park provides, along with diary-like personal posts are found throughout the blog; all of which address the need to be human and allow others to share in that emotion.

American psychologist Abraham Maslow theorized in his “Theory of Human Motivation”, that in order for a person to become self-actualized—meaning to fulfill such needs as being creative and moral—a person had to fulfill the needs in the lower parts of his hierarchy of needs. The lowest echelon of his hierarchy could only be satisfied by the physiological needs of breathing, eating and having water to drink. Africa is a land in which fulfilling those basic physiological needs can sometimes feel and be impossible. And though nourishment is sometimes not met as it is here in America, the resilient people of Africa do get to be artistic and creative and moral sometimes at the cost of the middle echelons of basic human needs. Though the blog does not touch on political injustices or subjects, one can infer that Mrs. Tania Bale is very in touch with the realities of the continent. There is no doubt that blogs such as hers are launched in response to the needs of the people and for the desire to be one to make a difference. The hearts that have been turned into powdered stone have not only just felt emotions, they have grown arms and fingers and decided to make difference even if it is with a simple gesture of bringing art to the world by the way of a blog

All the best

Tania Bale

African Art Online.Com

Circumcision  is part of the Maasai Culture, known in Maasai as (Emurata.)

In Maasai culture a boy only becomes a man once he has been circumcised. and a young girl may only get married once she has been circumcised.  Circumcision of boys is carried out every seven year period, each seven year period is given a name eg Nyangusi the next seven year group Seuri the next group Makaa etc.

Once a boy reaches a certain  size he is asked by an elder if he is ready to be circumcised if he agrees preparations are made brewing beer (Anaiho in Masai) which is made up of honey, sugar and water this is left to ferment for three days then aloe roots are added the brew is then left for a further two weeks. When preparations are complete the celebrations start one day before circumcision day in the afternoon the warriors sing and dance with the boys to be circumcised known as ( Layoni ) this carries on through out the night then early in the morning.

The Layoni are taken to the bush by the Moran or warriors and washed with cold water this is known as (Engare Endolu) once they have been washed they return in silence once they reach home the boys are taken to the entrance of the cattle kraal (cattle boma) where the Witch doctor (Olakitoi) is waiting while one boy is being circumcised the other boys are guarded by the Moran in side the Boma. Circumcision takes place on a cow skin placed at the entrance of the boma. No antispetic or anesthetic is used.

Boys are circumcised by the witch doctor using a sharp knife. The boys who do not cry out while being circumcised are honored by the relatives giving them a cow or a goat. It is classed as a sign of weakness if the boy cry’s out while being circumcised. This rarely happens as they are outcast. Once circumcised they are taken inside the house and put to bed to wait for blood diluted with milk which helps the boy to recover his loss of blood, when the boy (Skolio) has had enough he is left with one Moran ( warrior) to tend to him till he gets better which is about seven to ten days. The celebrations continue to the evening, Moran and young girls sing and dance drink milk and eat meat while the elders drink beer and eat meat. The Skolio circumcised boys (pre warrior)  spend the next seven months or a year recovering, singing and enjoying them selves in this period they only wear black and paint their faces with white chalk, during this period the warriors and woman are not allowed to eat in front of the Skolio however the elders may. After this period there is another celebration as the Skolio now become Moran and change from wearing black to wearing red cloths at this stage they have very short hair for a period of six months then they are allowed to have long hair.

Female Circumcision:- Is carried out once the girls are mature and not by age. Preparation for circumcision is carried out much the same as for boys. The girls are washed by the elder woman relations, they are then taken to their mothers house were they will be circumcised  by a female Witch doctor (Engakitoy). During the circumcision the senior Moran will appoint two warriors who will watch the girl being circumcised, the other moran dance behind the two morans watching. Once she has been circumcised the two warriors will enter the house and hand the girl their spears, handing the girl their spears is a sign that all is over and she must now getup.  The two morans then leave the house and join the dancing morans out side where they continue dancing. The girl then comes out with the two spears and hands them back to the morans, she then returns to the house to rest but the calibrations continue all night much the same as for the boys. The girl the same as the boys must wear black. During the recovery period they are called (Eskolio) Once they have fully recovered they can then get married.

Female circumcision is illegal in Tanzania, unfortunately this still takes place underground and is very hush, hush.

It was really interesting talking to these six young men. This is myself and my daughter with six young boys after their ceremony. They would normally not agree to such photo’s being taken, but kindly agreed.

A moment I will never forget.

Regards

Tania Bale

African Art Online.Com

This project work is dedicated to Mr. BJ for his kind filled heart for making Meserani Snake Park a home for us and all other university students who wished to conduct their practical training in the snake park.

This is project is to show you that we appreciate the chance you have offered us, hopeful this work will be useful to you in advertising Meserani snake park all over the world as it is surely a place with unique attraction, for me its a splendid deposit of culture and nature all mixed up together magnificent way that can blow hearts away with joy that they have experience the view of reptiles like no other and understanding maasai culture that deep to the extent of feeling part of it.

For we have seen how hard you work in helping the local people fight against poverty, ignorance and diseases. You inspires us a lot BJ for the lives that you have touched in million numbers of way. The most inspiring part is when you have empowered women as their the main pillar in society development, We promise to be a good ambassadors of Meserani snake park..

Cheers to you for what you have achieved and best of luck for the upcoming achievements. We will forever be honored for the chance you have given us.

Words of appreciation from Erca G. Uisso, A University Student from Dodoma.

Kind  regards

Tania Bale
African Art Online.Com