Boblee
Artist from Tanzania
The Artist
Different Styles
Exhibitions
Sales
Framing
Kaya Shop
Boblee was born in 1972 in Tanga a city on the Indian Ocean in Tanzania. He grew up with his family and on the farm of his grandfather. His grandfather was a Rasta man and has been a great inspiration to Boblee. He taught him about life as a Rasta man and how to look at things, how to use colours, by looking at the rainbow, water, a mirror or fire. He also taught Boblee how to make paint out of carrots, seeds and other natural products.
When Boblee was about twelve years old he moved to Zanzibar to live with a friend of his father and his family. He went to school until there was no more money for Boblee to go to school. The friend of his father decided to teach Boblee how to draw, each night he took another position that Boblee had to draw. Boblee enjoyed it and he had talent.
A few years later he developed an interest in painting, he was never taught how to paint but soon his paintings were good enough to sell and every night he went to the food market to sell his paintings. He became known and orders started coming, mostly from souvenir shopkeepers.
He was invited to join art competitions and he scored high, however he refused an offer to continue his work in the United States and also to work in Kenya earning good money.For Boblee it is important to be his own boss and to keep his freedom.He has been employed as an art teacher at the Art academy of Bagamoyo, he worked there for 2,5 years and he taught at a junior school in Zanzibar. Now he has got his own shop in Zanzibar where he sells his paintings and other souvenirs from Africa.
Boblee has developed several styles, he has an image in his mind and that has to be on the painting. The material he is using is oil paint on cotton. His first style is African dance, where people are dancing on traditional African music. One of his latest styles is Shamba, where he paints life in the village. Hard Time and Crazy Dance are styles which are more graphic also about African life.
He is also practising styles which are used by more African artists. Like Village, a village, where a lot of things are happening and Tingatinga, an existing style with certain rules but every artist gives it its own identity.
Contact Boblee
e-mail: boblee712@hotmail.com
phone: 00255787901937
P.O.box 3612, Stonetown, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Boblee was born in 1972 in Tanga a city on the Indian Ocean in Tanzania. He grew up with his family and on the farm of his grandfather. His grandfather was a Rasta man and has been a great inspiration to Boblee. He taught him about life as a Rasta man and how to look at things, how to use colours, by looking at the rainbow, water, a mirror or fire. He also taught Boblee how to make paint out of carrots, seeds and other natural products.