Today in history: Remembering Henry Tayali – legendary Zambian artist

VICTOR KALALANDA, Lusaka, July 22, 2021 

BESIDES its iconic and quaint architecture, there is another aspect that sets apart the University of Zambia (UNZA) as an institution steeped in history: the artwork in its environs. 

Arguably the most imposing figure in this range of art is the statue called The Graduate, which has since become a lasting memory of the country’s foremost artist, Henry Tayali, who died on this day 34 years ago, after serving UNZA spiritedly as a lecturer and resident artist.

The Graduate was made of concrete and unveiled on July 14, 1979 by late former President Kenneth Kaunda at UNZA’s Graduation Forum, where thousands, in decades, have stopped by to make meaning of the faceless sculpture, the book in its left hand or the hoe in its right hand.

The Graduate sculpture by Henry Tayali at UNZA

Tayali’s rise to eventual prominence and distinction can be traced back to the time he was awarded government sponsorship to pursue art education at Makerere University, Uganda, from 1967 to 1971.

He was, accordingly, a direct beneficiary of Government’s deliberate efforts, then under President Kaunda, to increase the numbers of skilled human resource steering the country forward in various fields of human endeavour.

Born on November 22, 1943 in Zambia’s (then Northern Rhodesia’s) Serenje district to Edward Nkole Tayali and Esnati Mumba, Tayali grew up with a special love for art, expressing his raw talent and creativity through painting.

Having had an exposure to artwork early on in life, with his first exhibition held at the age of 15, Tayali’s own work as a versatile artist apparently took a fiercer and promising form at Mpopoma High School in Zimbabwe, the country where his father worked.

It was while at Mpopoma that Tayali produced one of his most enchanting paintings known as Destiny, and went on to produce many other pieces which he would sell and subsequently use the income in art school.

His exploits while in high school earned him government funding at Makerere – which was once known as the Harvard of Africa – where he studied such art forms as painting, sculpting and photography.

Following the seizure of power in Uganda by Idi Amin, Tayali returned back to Zambia to work at UNZA’s Institute of Economic and Social Research (then Institute of African Studies) as a lecturer in African art and eventually as university artist.

Such responsibility at the country’s top university came in handy with Tayali’s natural sense of urgency, as he worked tirelessly diversifying his art production and positioning himself as the face and leader of Zambian art.

Given the excellence of his work, he became the first recipient, south of the equator, to earn the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship, which enabled him, in 1972, to take a break from teaching and pursue a master’s degree in Fine Arts at Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, West Germany.

His own professor in Germany, Gerd Weber, would say of him that "of all the foreign students who have worked in my class, Henry Tayali is by far the most talented of them all. His work constitutes a synthesis between the traditional African art, the tools and techniques of the modern era."

Studying both art and languages like German and English under DAAD, Tayali’s work acquired international appeal, reflecting his world view as shaped by experiences in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Germany.

Though Tayali did not live up to the age of 88, like his artistic influence Michelangelo, in his relatively short but highly ambitious life he managed to bring African art to global attention through workshops, conferences, discussions, exhibitions, newspaper articles, magazines and television appearances.

He was such a determined and aggressive man that meeting him two years before his death, Dutch artist Gijsbert Witkamp wondered why Tayali “looked tired and kind of wasted”. It was the end of an era.

The Bull, scrap metal, by Henry Tayali

Of his own work ethic and art, Tayali said: “Each painting I do is a stage forward to my next work. But the main thing to remember is that the whole of my life is just doing one big painting, the only difference being that the style in which I execute it varies from painting to painting. Since I was a child I have lived in art and art is my life, and in this field, all I know is determination and simple hard work.”

In the 1970s and 1980s, when Zambian art went through a highly auspicious era, Tayali produced some of his greatest works, which were exhibited for the public and also for Dr Kaunda himself. 

As a lecturer at UNZA and Evelyn Hone College, Tayali used his art to serve as a form of social commentary on the issues of his day.

"My art is concerned with the suffering of the people and I want it to be the echo of that suffering. I see the problems of the continent… I am just recording what I and my people feel, but I do not attempt to provide answers to our problems," Tayali said of his work in 1979.

Funded by donations from the Zambia State Lottery, Anglo-American Corporation and some individuals, The Graduate sculpture at UNZA was moulded by Tayali to evoke reflections about Zambian intellectualism, with the apparent view that it should train the heart, the mind and the hand.

Though interpreted differently, there seems to be consensus about what some of its features symbolise.

For instance, the book in the sculpture’s left hand symbolises the pursuit of modern learning, whereas the hoe in its right hand stands for hard work and progress through agriculture as a hallmark of the Zambian people.

Its faceless feature and clumsy look, as if disabled, tends to suggest that education is for every Zambian regardless of any physical impediment, race, creed and tribe.

Generally, its message seems to be that Zambian intellectuals should not only have an aptitude for academic learning, but they should embrace hard work outside the walls of the university and should have a big heart that accommodates the whole range of humanity.

As a painter, printmaker, sculptor, raconteur and lecturer, Tayali’s other famous works include The Bull, The Beggar, Destiny and Mother Afrika.

As one of Tayali’s earliest works, Destiny is a beautiful painting which serves as a sociological statement on social and economic inequality, or as both a romanticisation and critique of city life.

Henry Tayali, Destiny, 1964-65 oil on canvas, 58cm x 89cm, donated by the Zukas family

Witkamp himself describes the nature of Tayali’s work as “academic and international”, while Zambian arts journalist Andrew Mulenga says of Tayali: “[He] encouraged the interplay of ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’ art, placing emphasis on the necessity of traditional African cultures as a contribution towards modern development in an international dialogue. His many travels abroad, where he vouched for international cultural cooperation, were proof of his conviction. Not least, because he wanted to see art discourse and pedagogy in Zambia advance to international standards.”

Late Nigerian art critic Okwui Enwezor actually referred to Tayali as “the important creative force of African artists, many whom have laboured in obscurity and outside the spotlight, but have nevertheless continued to produce important work”.

Henry Tayali showing some of his artwork to then Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, 1972

Having been sponsored by Dr Kaunda’s government to help launch his career as a dynamic artist, it is said that Tayali faced opposition from fellow scholars as he tried to raise the profile of African art, and this could explain why there is no department of fine arts at UNZA.

But, despite the difficulties he faced, Tayali still emerged as a lasting influence on the arts scene in Zambia, with Andrew Mulenga observing that: “Tayali’s palette and sense of abstraction with regard to crowd scenes are evident in the works of prominent Zambian artists such as Patrick Mumba, William Miko and Tayali’s protégé, Vincentio Phiri. In fact, the respect that Zambian artists have for him is celebrated in the Henry Tayali Gallery in Lusaka which also houses the Zambia National Visual Arts Council.”

Henry Tayali - Village Scene at Night (early 1960s water colour painting)

With the rise of social media, Zambia has recently seen a growing appreciation of local visual art, which Tayali excelled in. He may have died 34 years ago, but his memory will become stronger as long as Zambian art continues to thrive.