Turkish artists reviving Zanzibar’s blue economy through art

Over the years, Zanzibar, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean located close to the Tanzanian coast, has gained prominence among tourists searching for the off-beat and the exotic.

Excellent tourist sites and historic places on the two main islands, coupled with the idyllic rhythm of daily life that intertwines with the ebb and flow of the waves, leave the visitor transfixed with a feeling of timelessness.

Zanzibar, which is a semi-autonomous province of Tanzania, has its own elected government currently led by President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, whose deep ties with Türkiye as an alumnus of Marmara University, has helped enhance the country’s diplomatic ties with Türkiye.

Recently, President Mwinyi, who is also Tanzania’s former Minister of Health, described his strong personal connection to Türkiye, even referring to himself as “half Turkish”, a declaration symbolising the upturn in Türkiye-Zanzibar relations.

From being an important pit-stop in the trade between Europe and Asia in the pre-modern era, these islands had developed into a maritime and trading power, till the mid-19th century, when the Suez Canal cut the Europe-Asia sea route.

They remain an important spice producer, but poor infrastructure and facilities inhibit Zanzibar’s untapped potential in the ‘blue economy’, in a country whose lifeblood is fish and fisheries, according to experts.

The blue economy

This is evident from the fact that a paltry 92 households out of 1,100 in the main island are engaged in fishing, due to a severe shortage of equipment.

But beyond this, is the palpable threat of gender stereotypes faced by women in the business, who are often excluded from the policy-making processes, leading to insecurity and invisibility within the sector, further creating the need for more support and improved working conditions for female fishmongers.

Since taking charge in 2020, President Mwinyi has been challenging these trends and tackling gender stereotypes by championing gender equality, which was recognised by the UN Women in Tanzania, who named him their HeforShe Champion in 2021.

Yet, there is only so much that he can do to address the gap in women and fishing in Zanzibar. Despite the president’s tireless efforts, being a fisherwoman is termed risky, although women play a significant role in fisheries and marine sectors across Africa as processors, traders and distributors.

Happily, all this could change as a new story unfolds in the heart of the stunning Zanzibar archipelago.

Art for industry

Since 2012, Turkish humanitarian aid organisation Umut Sensin Association has gone beyond traditional civil society approaches, to harness the healing power of art in tackling the challenges faced by fisherfolk of Zanzibar and to reinvigorate its blue economy, by establishing The Samaki Art Project in collaboration with the Tanzanian Research Implementation Effect (RIE) to exhibit Zanzibar's fish with Gyotaku art.

Gyotaku is a traditional Japanese method of printing fish on rice paper. Originally used by Japanese fishermen to record their catches, it has now become an art form.

Emrah Engin, the co-founder of Umut Sensin, tells TRT World that The Samaki Art Project aims to resurrect Zanzibar’s fishing sector using Gyotaku, by integrating traditional fishing households into the sector while creating awareness of the profession through the art.

Umut Sensin, which loosely translates as “you are the hope”, is an Istanbul-based association that supports people under challenging economic and social conditions through creative projects, by spreading their message: “Hope will never end”. It tries to educate people and create awareness of economic opportunities.

Cultivators of change

The Samaki Art Project is a brainchild of Turkish illustrator Sule Yavuzer, who initiated it in collaboration with Italian Gyotaku artist Eleni Di Capita with the support of the Umut Sensin foundation.

This project has emerged as a new bridge between Türkiye and Zanzibar, while also ushering in a new era for African fisherfolk.

Cultivating the ability to unearth inspiration from quotidian facets of life, The Samaki Art Project, with its transformative influence, has emboldened Zanzibar’s women to unveil their innate artistic prowess.

For Türkiye, cultural cooperation has become a rich avenue to increase its growing soft power in Africa. The Samaki Art Project builds on the relations between Türkiye and Tanzania.

These ties have been growing through the vision 'A Self-Sufficient Africa' in 2017 by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), which has in turn, boosted the cultural, educational and economic ties between these two sides.

"Once the project achieves its goal, the average monthly income of fisherfolk on the islands will exceed US $100 per household. Currently, Zanzibar’s average monthly income is $47,” said Emrah Engin.

According to Emrah Engin Umut, co-founder of Umut Sensin, The Samaki Art Project seeks to promote agricultural development, in addition to enhancing the fishing industry. This includes the planned purchase of two fully equipped boats.

"After improving the lives of the fishermen, the island will become a self-sustaining village capable of meeting its needs and assisting others. We plan to achieve this endeavour by acquiring boats to achieve these milestones by the end of 2025," Engin tells TRT World.

A Japanese artform in Africa

“Fish is undoubtedly the most significant source of inspiration for this project,” Turkish artist Sule Yavuzer explains to TRT World.

Tumbatu, a picturesque island in the archipelago primarily known for its fishing, possesses tremendous potential in Gyotaku, feel the Art Project proponents. “Unfortunately, the local residents lack the opportunities to showcase it to the world,” Yavuzer explains.

“How can Tumbatu's fish reach global markets? I felt establishing cold chains was essential to transport their catch to distant markets,” says Yavuzer.

“I suggested creating fish prints and selling them through production to help introduce Tumbatu's fish to the world. The idea received a favourable response, and we embarked on the journey to make it a reality".

Forty women living in Zanzibar island were taught Gyotaku, creating hundreds of artworks in an intensive 21 days of training, workshop activities and exhibitions, including the recently held one named “Portraits of the Ocean”.

“Gyotaku is all about real fish printing,” says Di Capita, who has been working with Yavuzer on this project.

“Yavuzer invited me via social media to Zanzibar to teach Gyotaku, which is a traditional Japanese art. I accepted the invitation and felt so happy to join, because I really wanted to help empower women with new waves of work and development.”

'Umut Sensin' in practice

Speaking to TRT World, Rahma Khamis, a village elder and a beneficiary of the art project, said that through The Samaki Art Project and support for women and youth, Türkiye has left an indelible impact on Zanzibar and Tanzania.

Khamis also conveyed her appreciation for the knowledge gained through the project: “We are also grateful to our facilitators and other associations that participated. personally, I thank the organisation (Umut Sensin) for coming to our island with this aid.”

“Also, thank you Umut Sensin for coming up with the idea and making us women become artists. We didn't even know how to draw, but now we have embraced it and appreciate the work. Now we see it taking us far.”

Arafa Mussa, another beneficiary of The Samaki Art Project agrees with Khamis. "Initially, I never thought fish could be used to make art, but I felt better when we got our first art training. We will continue to produce artwork and train others in its intricacies."

Organisations such as Emerson's Zanzibar Foundation, a location sponsor for The Samaki Art Project, actively support artists and host visual arts festivals to foster a self-sustaining future through the promotion of the arts.

The first exhibition

The Turkish Embassy in Dar es Salaam hosted the first-ever exhibition of Gyotaku art produced in Zanzibar in early September, under the umbrella of cultural diplomacy, humanitarian aid and art. It was held at the Exhibition Salon of Emerson Hurumzi Hotel in Zanzibar, and attended by representatives from various embassies.

At the exhibition, the Minister of Blue Economy and Fisheries of the Zanzibar Revolutionary government, Suleiman Masoud Makame, commended The Samaki Art Project for helping showcase Zanzibar’s vast ecosystem by highlighting the economic and nutritional significance of fish.

Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Gulluoglu emphasised that the project was a development initiative for vocational training. Noting the significance of the Project, Ambassador Mehmet invoked an old saying: "If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."

The Exhibition's Interactive Community Art Corner engaged the exhibitors, leading them to print a fish using a wooden fish stamp and take a photograph in the designated photo corner.

The exhibition is expected to travel to Istanbul soon.