Mkumba Steven
Mkumba Steven is the only painter in the Tinga Tinga Cooperative who is of Makonde tribe, not of Makua tribe like most of the painters. Makonde people are known for their great wood sculptures made of the black ebony tree. He became apprentice to the late Mzee Salum Mussa “Lumumba” and after three years of apprenticeship he started to paint independently.Mkumba has his own distinctive Tinga Tinga style, but yet not so easy to spot by a layman. Some of his paintings depict violent scenes both in the animal and human "kingdom". One of his paintings was rejected by 2010 Fine Art company which licensed the images to FIFA World Cup 2010 (TM) because it showed the police beating people. Mkumba is definitelly an artist who projects his soul into his art! Currently Mkumba takes care about the economy of Tinga Tinga Cooperative. He participated in Tingatinga exhibitions at the National Museum of Dar es Salaam i 1995 and 1996.
