Tanzanian Spirits on a Painted and Carved Circular Wood Relief, Signed by George Lilanga

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This carved and painted circular panel is an excellent authentic example of a two-dimensional low-relief wood sculpture by Tanzanian master … Read more This carved and painted circular panel is an excellent authentic example of a two-dimensional low-relief wood sculpture by Tanzanian master George Lilanga (1934–2005). It represents a bridge between traditional African sculpture techniques and contemporary Swahili urban painting.

SUBJECT: The composition is entirely populated by Lilanga's signature mashetani, the mischievous, shape-shifting spirits from Makonde folklore. True to the artist’s distinct style, these figures are rendered with caricature-like traits. Their long fluid limbs, oversized floppy ears, wide open mouths with prominent teeth express a combination of humor and anxious energy. A strict stylistic rule Lilanga adhered to for his spirit worlds, was that the inhabitants’ only have two fingers on their hands and three toes on their feet.
The work centers around a single small hut, known as a nyumba. It completely lacks a traditional horizon line or any environmental depth. Instead, Lilanga heavily packs the circular constraints with swarming, intertwined figures that twist and fit together dynamically.

STYLE: While many of Lilanga's later works were painted on board, canvas, or goatskin, this is a low-relief wood carving. The black outlines are deep, incised structural grooves cut into the wood panel, creating physical texture separating the painted fields.

ARTIST: George Lilanga is widely regarded as one of Tanzania's most internationally celebrated contemporary artists and is occasionally referred to as the "Picasso of Africa". Born into the Makonde people of southern Tanzania, he initially trained in traditional ebony woodcarving.
When he moved to Dar es Salaam in the 1970s, he interacted with the Tingatinga School of Painting, which inspired him to bring his three-dimensional wood-carving heritage into brightly colored, flat, and highly stylized multi-media formats. Lilanga's whimsical, heavily outlined figures directly caught the attention of Western contemporary artists. Notably, American graffiti artist Keith Haring openly cited an encounter with Lilanga’s art in 1979 as a major influence on his own iconic line-art style.

INSTITUTIONAL COLLECTIONS: Today, his works are highly sought after by global collectors and reside in institutions such as the Jean Pigozzi Collection (currently stored in Geneva while awaiting completion in 2029 of Musée d'Art Contemporain – Collection Jean Pigozzi in Cannes, France) and the Guggenheim Bilbao in Barcelona, Spain.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Bottom edge center (photo #7). Institutional biography affixed verso (photos #8,9). See less