THE DENTIST TREATING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES
signed H. lilanga lower right; signed and titled in Swahili on the reverse
oil and watercolour on canvas
99 x 99 cm; 39 x 39in
(unframed)

Property from a Private Collection, London

Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner

Lilanga was born in Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam, in 1974. From a young age, his acclaimed artist grandfather, George Lilanga, taught Lilanga how to paint and draw in the popular Tanzanian art style of the Tingatinga school of art. Lilanga's works are heavily derived from this style, which features colourful naïve depictions of stereotypical and idealised imagery of Tanzania including its wildlife, landscapes, and people. Lilanga is also influenced by the Makonde woodcarvers (from which the Tingatinga style draws influence), along with his long stays in Japan and South Korea.