Booth 945
(See map below)
About the Artist
African artist, Hussein Saidi, combines traditional African themes with modern style. The shantytowns of Saidi's native Tanzania rise from the panoramic canvas like dust, mud, and fire. His style fuses life, struggle and hope together in three dimensional canyons of colour. Saidi's collection of art contains an overriding theme of community and family. He attempts to unify and intertwine his two worlds - that of Tanzania and that of the United States - by focusing on the commonality among all people globally. His artwork embodies two distinct styles. From his father, also an artist, Saidi acquired the skills to create contemporary acrylic paintings. These paintings utilize bold colors and shapes, and they are lively, active and pure in emotion. Saidi also creates unique collages utilizing natural materials such as barks, leaves, husks and other natural fibers, combined in a meticulous process. When he was a boy, as is typical of children in Tanzania, Saidi created his own toys out of found-objects. Saidi now continues this process in his art, as he incorporates natural materials in his collages, where the materials he uses reflect his perceptions of the strong ties between humans and Earth. Each creation either shows scenes from daily life in Africa, or it shows ujamaa, which is Kiswahili for cooperation, unity in family and in community life.
