Dar virtual artists win praise  

21Apr 2023
Joseph Mchekadona
The Guardian
Dar virtual artists win praise  

MEMBERS of the Germany-based arts group, Asante Sanaa organization, who recently visited Tanzania, have praised local virtual artists for their creativity and uniqueness.

Members of the Germany-based arts group, Asante Sanaa organization, who visited Tanzania recently, pose for a photo with a Tanzanian virtual artist after the former's tour. The group, which promotes artworks created by Tanzania's virtual artists and their counterparts in East Africa, had visited some tourist attractions and conducted several workshops with virtual artists in Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania. PHOTO: CORRESPONDENT

Five members of the group that was in the country for three weeks had, among others, visited some tourist attractions and conducted several workshops with virtual artists in Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania.

They are Frida Schymura, Mirjam Bernath, Anna Bergmoser, Sakob Neugebauer, and Jan Schultheis.

Anna, who spoke on behalf of her fellows, said the Asante Sanaa organization started in 2020 as a university students' group to help Tanzania's virtual artists.

She said they started with 20 virtual artists but now there are 45 members of the fraternity and they have a good network with other artists in Kenya.

She said the idea of helping Tanzania's virtual artists was hatched by one of their friends who visited the country and was amazed by creative pieces sold by local artists.

"In 2020 one of our friends was here in Tanzania and explained to us how creative Tanzania's virtual artists are, she told us that it is not just Tanzania's artists are creative but also conceptual, she said most of the customers of the pieces are foreign tourist," she noted. 

"But the Coronavirus pandemic is affecting them, we agreed that although Germany is also affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, we can do something to help them earn a living and at the same time expand their base," she said. 

She said its other mission is fighting injustice, promoting good livelihood, and fostering intercultural exchange through arts.

"We sell virtual artistic works at art galleries, shops, hotels, cafes, and we also have an online shop, selling Tanzania virtual artworks in Germany also helps to build a cultural bridge between the two countries," she explains.

She went on to disclose that to widen their base and attract all generations, pieces of works of virtual artists are reprinted on clothes like T-shirts, hoods, and burlap bags and are sold in Germany.

"The original and unique paintings of the artists inside are sold in Germany, they have created a fashion brand around the art which diversifies the income of artists and contributes to the sustainable fashion consumption, it shows the beauty of East Africa paintings," she explained. 

The member said plans are underway to open shops in Germany and expand to other parts of Europe, noting this will benefit many African virtual artists.

"On top of creating cultural understanding and give the artist an international stage on which they express themselves," Anna stated.

"We also believe that we will connect many African artists with their friends in Germany and Europe in general," she said.

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