Explore African Art was formed so that you as a customer can share alongside us the joy of having African art on your wall. Explore African Art sources and sells high quality traditional and contemporary art for you to enjoy. The pictures are original one off pieces which have been hand painted to a high standard. The majority of our art is oil painted on canvas. Purchases made through this website are helping local artists to sustain themselves economically and to make a difference in their lives.
Our paintings are split into three categories - Tinga Tinga, Masai and Contemporary African Art and below you can read a little about each.
Tinga Tinga
Tinga Tinga was created as an art form by Edward Said Tinga Tinga and introduced in the early 1960’s in the south of Tanzania. This style of art is painted mainly using bicycle paint and uses vibrant colours to depict the animals of Africa. This type of art has become very popular world wide for its vibrant depictions of animals.
Masai Art
The majority of our Masai art is painted using a technique called blade painting. Here the artists use oil paints and a small blade to create magnificent designs. Have a look for yourself I’m sure you will find a few that you like if not all of them!
The paintings in the Masai category depict the Masai tribe who mainly reside near the game parks in East Africa. The Inkajijik (houses/huts) are usually star or loaf shaped made with mud, sticks, grass and cow dung and are usually made by women within the tribe. Many of our pictures depict the Masai tribe and culture through the use of vibrant colours and creative thinking.
Contemporary African Art
The Contemporary category features paintings again on canvas but this time using water based colours. They have a much softer feel to the oil paintings but in the right place will provide huge impact.
Our Paintings
All of our paintings are painted by hand. For this reason we must make you aware from time to time there may be slight imperfections on the actual painting. These are not painted by machines where you can get perfectly straight lines and a blemish free design. In our opinion a hand painted design is far superior and also gives a authentic feel which can not be replicated. Our paintings come without frames so that you are able to choose your own frame or even make it yourself!
