Tanzania Thu 05-07-2007

Rafiki International Workshop 2007 Dar es Salaam
By Maggie Otieno

Rafiki International workshop 2007 was organised by the Rafiki Trust, an art organization based in Dar es Salaam central Business District. The workshop which took place from the 8th to 22nd June brought together artist from Tanzania, Fred Halla, Chilonga Haji, Robino Ntila, Lutengano Mwakisopile, Phidelice Gervacy, Omari Kanyaki, Kenyan artist Beatrice Njoroge and Dr. Philip Kwesiga from Uganda.

The 2007 workshop took place at Nyumba ya Sanaa, a vibrant Arts Centre and social space. The 2 week workshop brought a blend of different cultures and art to the Centre. Most of the artists here were painters with vast experiences and familiarity in their respective fields.

Robino Ntila, one of Tanzania’s well known Wood cut print makers was delighted by the fact that Rafiki Trust had managed to host the workshop this year. The previous workshop took place in 2001 through Kuona Trust-Kenya in collaboration with Art in Tanzania and Rafiki Trust. The workshop was held in Bagamoyo-Tanzania and its exhibition in Slip-Way, Dar es Salaam.

Nyumba Ya Sanaa

Being much older in the Tanzanian art scene, Robino Ntila is well traveled and his works are in private collections in Holland, Germany, UK, and Kenya. Being an artist in the caliber of Jak Katarikawe and Zacharia Mbutha, Robino has participated in many workshops and residencies across the globe. His presence at the workshop was well appreciated as he challenged and worked with the much younger artists, exchanged ideas and indulged them in the politics and rewards of art.

Other participants included Haji Chilonga, an artist whose works of abstract and heavy lines are coupled with gentle but contrasting colours. Chilonga has had numerous exhibitions in Dar, Bagamoyo and South Africa. His works reflect the human circumstances through colour and texture on the canvas.

Fred Halla, artist based in Dar, fames himself as a cartoonist and contemporary painter. His cartoons are featured in the local daily as well as in other local magazines. His paintings on the other hand are colours splashed on canvas, untitled and suppose to veer one from the usual expectation of directly interpreting a work of art.

From Uganda, Philip Kwesiga a teacher at the art school at the Makerere University, works in different media. He creates images on canvas and pottery portraying families of refugees and their lives. ‘This is a different style of work I have done here’ His work in this workshop was influenced by Dar es Salaam’s city life which is quiet and sober.

‘I chose to work with colour without imposing specific forms to my canvas’ said Beatrice Njoroge from Kenya. Unlike her usual art pieces, Beatrice work deliberately depicted colour and texture a diversion from her nudes and faces.

The Rafiki Workshop open day took place on Friday 22nd at Nyumba ya Sanaa. The exhibition was sponsored by Ford Foundation-Kenya, Triangle Art Trust, UBA (United Bank of Africa, Uganda Branch, whose representative opened the exhibition and Kuona Trust, Nairobi, Kenya.