Born: November 22, 1943
Place of Birth: Northern Rhodesia
Died: July 22, 1987 (43 years old)
Place of Death: Aachen, Germany
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Career and Life
Henry Nkole Tayali was a multi-lingual Zambian fine artist, sculptor, printmaker, raconteur, and lecturer. He has been described as Zambia's most famous painter and most revered and pre-eminent artist.
Tayali was to Edward Nkole Tayali (1914–1995) and Esnati Mumba Tayali (née Chola, 1923–1963) in Serenje in the British Colony of Northern Rhodesia (later to become Zambia).
He grew up near the site of the Nsalu 12,000-year-old rock and cave paintings.
His father, the firstborn of five children, had won a scholarship to study at a South African University but never took it up because his mother died suddenly. He chose to stay and look after his younger siblings. Tayali's father emigrated from Northern Rhodesia to work in Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia, ending up in the Department of Housing and Amenities.
When the Tayali family was in Bulawayo, Tayali's natural talent was spotted early on by Alex Lambeth, who ran the African Affairs Department of Bulawayo City Council. Lambeth encouraged Tayali to pursue art as a career and enrolled him in an artwork course. This led to Henry's first exhibition in Bulawayo at fifteen.
His painting career took off after that, and using watercolors, Tayali began to produce varied, vibrant, dynamic works such as Sunset Road and Destiny.
He also produced sculptures - amongst them The Graduate at the University of Zambia campus in Lusaka, silk screens, and woodcuts- some were printed as greeting cards and sold through newsagents and bookstores.
Tayali held exhibitions in Lusaka, Bulawayo, Aachen, Düsseldorf, London (Commonwealth Institute, 1983), Alberta, and Toronto, as well as in Zambia, where a few of his exhibitions were opened by Kenneth Kaunda, the first President of Zambia.
Moreover, he was associated with artists, authors, and politicians, including Simon and Cynthia Zukas, Andrew Sardanis, and American Professor Melvin Edwards at home and abroad, many of them becoming lifelong friends. There were also joint exhibitions and support, such as that provided by the Alliance Francaise.
His work continues to be exhibited in Zambia and worldwide, and his influence continues at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
Numerous examples of Tayali's works are held in private collections across the globe.
Tayali was also a keen photographer, having studied photography for his Master's and always carried his trusted Leica SLR camera with him wherever he went.
On his projects for the University, he produced a huge catalog of photographs (often developing the prints himself and having photographic slides made) of rare artifacts and people - something he worked hard for as a record for posterity.
Some photographs he took on his field trips around Zambia were turned into postcards.
Other work included efforts to establish a School of Fine Arts in Zambia and numerous field trips within Zambia to record and preserve the arts and cultures of the various tribes for posterity - including audio recordings.
He was involved in organizing the attendance - and was part - of the Zambian delegation at the Second African Festival of Arts and Culture in Lagos, Nigeria, 1977 (FESTAC'77).
In addition to lecturing at the University of Zambia, Tayali also lectured at Evelyn Hone College near the city center of Lusaka.
He was also a restaurant/hotel critic - having traveled extensively worldwide and widely within Zambia in that role.
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