Lot 17
George Lilanga
Tanzanian, 1934 – 2005
Untitled (Jembe), undated Signed ‘Lilanga’ on top of base
Wood and enamel paint
65 x 18 x 25 cm
Ksh 220,000 – 385,000
(US$) 2,000 – 3,500
Provenance: the Daraja Collection
Sold Ksh 190,000
George Lilanga is one of Tanzania’s best known artists internationally. He fused influences from traditional Makonde carving with surreal, modern observations to create his much celebrated, idiosyncratic sculptures and paintings.
Lilanga began training as a sculptor in 1961, making woodcarvings in the traditional Makonde form. He moved to Dar es Salaam in 1970, where he encountered the Tingatinga School which had a profound effect on his work. In 1979 he participated in a group exhibition of African artists in Washington DC, where infamous graffiti artist Keith Haring saw his paintings and later acknowledged the significant impact this encounter had made on his work.
Today Lilanga’s work features in many important, private and institutional collections of African art.