African wall art is accessible and affordable. It captures the imagination; it is as vibrant as it is varied in style. There is no need to spend thousands of dollars on a piece of art. Bellow are a few ideas for obtaining some genuine African art whilst on safari in Tanzania. This can be achived for very little outlay. African art is affordable.
For USD $15 you can buy a piece of Congo fabric made from a kind of sacking. You see this brown and fawn fabric in many of the art markets and curio shops in Dar es Salaam and Stone Town, Zanzibar. It is rough, it may be marked or stained but it looks the part - it declares from afar “I am African”. Once home get it mounted onto a board and frame it – get this done professionally. Don’t have the piece of fabric neatened - frame it as is - warts and all - the loose threads and wobbly edges are a part of its provenance. Hang it on your wall and you have some thing none of your friends have and everyone will admire. The big cost being the framing. A genuine piece of African art showcased on your wall for under US$100.
A small painting may cost you anything from US$10 to US$250 – yet you have a great piece of art. Once home again I suggest to have it professionally framed. Another idea - the way I prefer - is to buy a quality thick mount and a piece of picture glass and make a picture frame yourself. I have seen frames made out of reclaimed timber put together sprayed with a thin coat of black arts and crafts paint and then crystal clear fixer. The grain of the wood still visible under the paint. This rough hewn look suits the art. I promise you will have the most authentic and stunning painting and frame without having to pay thousands of dollars. Again the cost here could very well be in the mount and the can of spray paint and fixer. I suggest the making of the frame not to save money but to compliment the art and complete its uniqueness. You will then be a part of this painting and appreciate it all the more.
The same for Maasai beads - buy a beaded collar for about US£9.50 from Arusha in northern Tanzania and have it box framed and it will be the talking point of your neighborhood.
The fantastic small batik died fabrics for sale at any art market - or even from street hawkers – makes great wall art. They cost so very little – buy three or five or nine of these mounted into a single frame. They should cost no more that US$3 each.
African printed fabric made in Tanzania or Uganda can be purchased from as little as USD$15 up to USD$200 and more. These fabrics can be converted into wall art on stretcher frames and this wall art is stunning too.
There are many opportunities wherever you may be in Tanzania to buy African art, use your imagination in displaying this art. The experience of buying and showing it off becomes part of the art itself.
I would like to conclude with a word on paintings and quality. The paintings that you buy for $50+ from the art markets may have slight imperfections. I ask you to embrace these as a part of the art. The paintings are not produced by machine producing perfectly straight lines, painted borders are rarely straight. This is real African art and therefore more desirable. Small imperfections give provenance/realism to the art. If you want clean straight lines, mass produced and soulless I suggest a trip to Walmart or Ikea.
