Untitled

Object Details

S. G. Mpata, 1942 - 1984, b. Tanzania

Label Text

Simon George Mpata’s style of painting is often referred to as Tinga Tinga, a reference to his half brother Edward Tingatinga who organized a group of self-taught artists in Dar es Salaam. Distinguished by bright colors on fiberboard, the majority of the group’s paintings focus on animals in curvilinear decorative patterns. Here, Mpata depicts a scene of fishermen with their catch on Africa’s east coast.

Description

Square painting on fiberboard of fishermen (two men, six fish, one boat)

Provenance

Collected July 1972 to October 1975 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Exhibition History

Currents: Water in African Art, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 2016-ongoing

Content Statement

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

Image Requests

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/

Credit Line

Gift of Ambassador and Mrs. W. Beverly Carter, Jr.

1971-1973

Object number

79-28-55

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Copyright

Copyright 1971-1973 Edward Mpata

Type

Painting

Medium

Enamel paint on fiberboard

Dimensions

H x W: 61.6 x 61.6 cm (24 1/4 x 24 1/4 in.)

Geography

Tanzania

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

Exhibition

Currents: Water in African Art

On View

NMAfA, Third Level Corridor

National Museum of African Art

Topic

fish

boat

Record ID

nmafa_79-28-55

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys749e83eb9-9f91-405c-b518-1a9b38c6e694