Local Fanatics | Mawila Khamsini
Mawila Khamsini, born 1978, is a self-taught artist working in the media of painting and graffiti from Tanzania. He is mainly known by his audience and peers as “LocalFanatics” or just “Local”. Local holds a degree in Electronics and Communications. His passion for the arts started long before his school years and was encouraged by his parents to pursue art which aided his decision to abandon the white collar job and pursue art full time.
Local’s preferred media are acrylic and spray paint on canvas but has recently taken on working on fresh wood as a new tool. He uses fresh wood to express closeness between nature, human life and creativity.
He has participated in a number of exhibitions both locally and internationally. In 2016 during the Tanzanian presidential elections, Local embarked on a solo project called JITOKEZE2016, which was funded by the Rosa Luxembourg Foundation. The project was a graffiti art project aimed at motivating Tanzanian citizens to take part in the Presidential Elections in 2016 while maintaining peace and harmony.
Local is among the founding artist member at Nafasi Art Space in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. He is also a founding member of Wasanii Art Center and SASART, a company formed by Tanzanian visual artists aimed at promoting and developing visual arts in Tanzania.
