In search of identity in contemporary painting of Tanzania a study of art in the life of Thobias Marco Minzi

This study was designed as a biographical research to establish the factors that led Thobias Marco Minzi to create an artistic identity as a contemporary painter in Tanzania. The results from the research data revealed that Minzi’s artistic identity was aided by several factors such as, his inner quest to create and stand out both as an individual and as an artist, secondly moving to Dar es Salaam in 2002. Thirdly, his quest to learn and fourthly his creation of alternative income generating activities to cope with the art business. Finally and the fifth factor was his need to create artwork that will be meaningful for Tanzanian clients. The study therefore reveals that an African artist can create an individual artistic identity if he has the will to do so and he has the strength to stand the challenges and assisted by a favourable environment. This study went further to disprove the arguments that personal artistic identity in African art is related to level of formal art education or collective unconsciousness of Africans. The dissertation calls for further research on artists with individual artistic identities in order to understand the complexities of contemporary art of Tanzania and Africa as a whole. It is also suggested that African art scholars direct their energy in investigating and encouraging African artistic identities among fellow Africans than counterattacking propagated stereotypes about African art.