Simon George Mpata’s style of painting is often referred to as Tinga Tinga, a reference to his half brother Edward Tingatinga who organized a group of self-taught artists in Dar es Salaam. Distinguished by bright colors on fiberboard, the majority of the group’s paintings focus on animals in curvilinear decorative patterns. Here, Mpata depicts a scene of fishermen with their catch on Africa’s east coast.
Description:
Square painting on fiberboard of fishermen (two men, six fish, one boat)
Provenance:
Collected July 1972 to October 1975 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Exhibition History:
Currents: Water in African Art, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 2016-ongoing
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
