East African Business Week (Kampala)
Dar es Salaam — Art is our culture, it is an
African tradition that we have lived with it for so many years yet it is
also a business that people make a living out of, Fadhili Raisi says.
(Dar artist Mr Fadhili Raisi showing his painting at his shop around Oysterbay Hotel in Dar es salaam By Kenan Kalagho)
Raisi owns an art gallery painting at Morogoro store, Oyster Bay in Dar es Salaam. He says that while many governments spend a lot of money advertising their country's attractions around the world, they should also invest in youths especially in arts and craft that has proved to be the best way of selling and attracting tourists.
Tanzania advertises itself on CNN, an international television where billions of money is spent. Instead government should have spent on art and crafts, help advertise and employ youths while show casing our culture and traditions, he says.
Raisi says that a lot of tourists are moved by small attractions like art crafts and paintings, besides the national parks, game reserves and all islands and coastal areas that are found in the country.
"Things like the ocean coastline and islands, parks and game reserve animals are something a tourist cannot take as a souvenir to show friends in his home country," Raisi says.
He says his paintings thus far have been bought by many a tourist.While people look at the art painting as no work. He on the other hand earns a living while educating his family through it.
"I started painting some time ago but it was not until I saw the tinga-tinga paintings by Suleiman Kabila in 1996 that I realized I can also do a great job in the art and sell my ideas around the world," Raisi says.
The prices of the artworks usually depend on the size and how many colours have been involved in the painting and usually we use three to 10 different colours for a single picture.
"You can have a very small frame but paint a very difficult structure which means the cost of the art work will also be high."
(Dar artist Mr Fadhili Raisi showing his painting at his shop around Oysterbay Hotel in Dar es salaam By Kenan Kalagho)
The price ranges from $5 to $500. Raisi says while there is lack of education to most of Africans especially in Tanzania on the importance arts in the country, most of their pieces are sold to foreigners.
Raisi has different kinds of paintings from Stone Town streets in Zanzibar, to others found in different parts of the Indian Ocean illustrating different scenery.
"There is this unfortunate trend amongst Tanzanians where local art is disregarded in favour of foreign pieces. For example its not suprising that government offices contain flowers and art works from China and other countries instead of ours. If Tanzanias do not appreciate local art, who will?" Raisi said.
Raisi says most youth in the country could secure jobs and earn their living if the government promotes them .
"Having a job does not only mean working for the government," says Raisi, "The problem is that the government looks at the film and or music industry only forgetting that art is our tradition that every individual can learn and earn a living from."
(Some of Fadhili Raisi paintings on display at his shop at Oysterbay Hotel in Dar es salaam By Kenan Kalagho)
Raisi says he usually makes follow-up whenever there is a parliamentary sessions in Dodoma and he has never heard the minister responsible mentioning anything about art and craft in his speech.
"Through my paintings I have been able to meet several European tourists and most of them are customers who have been buying my paintings" he says
Raisi says since holding exhibitions costs a lot, he has opted to arrange for trips to Zanzibar which is also a tourist's attraction and sell his arts paintings there.
"I have made several trips to Zanzibar to display my paintings in different hotels of Zanzibar due to its position as a tourist attraction and many tourists liked my work"
There are challenges to face. "We do not a reliable market where we can sell our art pieces", Raisi says, "The only market we have is that of European tourists which also depends on the season."
Like many upcoming businesses, they look to the government for help. "The government should organize exhibitions so that the youths and the unemployed can join these artists groups ," he pleads.
Raisi owns an art gallery painting at Morogoro store, Oyster Bay in Dar es Salaam. He says that while many governments spend a lot of money advertising their country's attractions around the world, they should also invest in youths especially in arts and craft that has proved to be the best way of selling and attracting tourists.
Tanzania advertises itself on CNN, an international television where billions of money is spent. Instead government should have spent on art and crafts, help advertise and employ youths while show casing our culture and traditions, he says.
Raisi says that a lot of tourists are moved by small attractions like art crafts and paintings, besides the national parks, game reserves and all islands and coastal areas that are found in the country.
"Things like the ocean coastline and islands, parks and game reserve animals are something a tourist cannot take as a souvenir to show friends in his home country," Raisi says.
He says his paintings thus far have been bought by many a tourist.While people look at the art painting as no work. He on the other hand earns a living while educating his family through it.
"I started painting some time ago but it was not until I saw the tinga-tinga paintings by Suleiman Kabila in 1996 that I realized I can also do a great job in the art and sell my ideas around the world," Raisi says.
The prices of the artworks usually depend on the size and how many colours have been involved in the painting and usually we use three to 10 different colours for a single picture.
"You can have a very small frame but paint a very difficult structure which means the cost of the art work will also be high."
The price ranges from $5 to $500. Raisi says while there is lack of education to most of Africans especially in Tanzania on the importance arts in the country, most of their pieces are sold to foreigners.
Raisi has different kinds of paintings from Stone Town streets in Zanzibar, to others found in different parts of the Indian Ocean illustrating different scenery.
"There is this unfortunate trend amongst Tanzanians where local art is disregarded in favour of foreign pieces. For example its not suprising that government offices contain flowers and art works from China and other countries instead of ours. If Tanzanias do not appreciate local art, who will?" Raisi said.
Raisi says most youth in the country could secure jobs and earn their living if the government promotes them .
"Having a job does not only mean working for the government," says Raisi, "The problem is that the government looks at the film and or music industry only forgetting that art is our tradition that every individual can learn and earn a living from."
(Some of Fadhili Raisi paintings on display at his shop at Oysterbay Hotel in Dar es salaam By Kenan Kalagho)
Raisi says he usually makes follow-up whenever there is a parliamentary sessions in Dodoma and he has never heard the minister responsible mentioning anything about art and craft in his speech.
"Through my paintings I have been able to meet several European tourists and most of them are customers who have been buying my paintings" he says
Raisi says since holding exhibitions costs a lot, he has opted to arrange for trips to Zanzibar which is also a tourist's attraction and sell his arts paintings there.
"I have made several trips to Zanzibar to display my paintings in different hotels of Zanzibar due to its position as a tourist attraction and many tourists liked my work"
There are challenges to face. "We do not a reliable market where we can sell our art pieces", Raisi says, "The only market we have is that of European tourists which also depends on the season."
Like many upcoming businesses, they look to the government for help. "The government should organize exhibitions so that the youths and the unemployed can join these artists groups ," he pleads.
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