Bringing Maasai Wisdom to Life

My name is Advithi Emmi. I am an artist and a teacher, based in Bangalore, India. I love working on community-based projects and have been part of Project FUEL’s Wise Wall Project with the Maasai people of Losimingori village in Arusha, Tanzania, since 2020.

The Wise Wall Project is an initiative to document, design, and strengthen the wisdom of rural communities, using art and action. We started this project by delving into research and studying the folklore of the Maasai community, from mythology to traditions, and lifestyle.

Inspired by the visual symbology of the tribe, from their attire and jewellery, I started illustrating folktales, and stories from the old religion. These illustrations took the form of posters that were gifted to the community, thereby bringing an extra source of income.

In December 2021, I travelled to the Losimingori village with the Project FUEL team. We created original artworks based on the stories and life lessons of the community members. We invited the villagers to be part of the painting process as well.

In the beginning, only young children were fascinated with the process. This was the first time for them to experience art. They would sit on the canvas and observe the people working there. We gave paints to the children and encouraged them to try their hand at painting. 

At first, I felt they were very restless, wanting to finish the painting quickly and see what happens next. But slowly, they became patient and sit with the painting. Women enjoy painting here. They all gather together to paint, crack jokes and laugh together.

Many people came to paint regularly, one of them was a woman named Raheli. Raheli came every day and became my student. Even when there is no work for her, she still comes to see what is happening. Seeing Raheli, many other women came and expressed interest to paint.

Language was a barrier, and so we communicated through gestures. We figured out a language for ourselves. I would point at figures drawn on the canvas and the colours. She would point back and nod, indicating she understood the next step.

I made artwork based on the emotions and connection with the people here, which makes the experience more powerful. 

The biggest learning I had from this experience was to do something more than yourself. Your hardships don't define you. It just takes some amount of willpower to do something more than yourself.