George Lilanga, 1934 - 2005, born Tanzania Search this
Medium:
Gourd, paint
Dimensions:
H x Diam: 33 x 27.9 cm (13 x 11 in.)
Type:
Sculpture
Geography:
Tanzania
Date:
ca. 1979
Label Text:
George Lilanga worked in the mediums of sculpture, painting, drawing, and printmaking. The figures carved and painted on this gourd are typical of his work and show a relationship with the stories of the Makonde peoples. The spiritual powers of women, the ancestors and the role of the masquerader are all important recurring themes. His paintings and sculptures are brightly colored, unlike the gourd's subdued earth tones or the ebony carvings most often identified with the Makonde.
Lilanga’s work was widely exhibited -- notably in the 1989 Magiciens de la Terre exhibition in Paris and the 2005 African Remix exhibition in London -- as well as in several iterations of the Pigozzi collection. His presence on the internet, in personal interviews and on other websites, includes a series exchanges about his possible use of other artists in workshops. His gourds, however, do not seem to be part of this post mortem debate about authorship and authenticity.
Description:
Gourd with a swelling body, narrow neck, ornamented with incised and painted figures rendered in energetic poses. Reddish-brown and cream coloration.
Provenance:
Marie Keech, Washington DC, 2006 to 2011
Lewis Atherton, collected in an artists' co-op in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, 1979 to 2006
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