Paul Prosper, a Tanzanian artist widely recognized by his moniker Poldrawingz, is a versatile and inventive drawing artist based in Dar es Salaam, though originally born and raised in Mwanza, in the Ilemela District. A graduate of the Bustani Kondoa Teacher Training College (2019), he discovered his love for drawing from a young age and has since transformed that passion into a flourishing creative pursuit. Prosper’s signature style scribble art employs spontaneous, loosely structured strokes to bring portraits and scenes to life with raw energy and emotion.
Mizizi: What’s the technique or style behind your artwork called?
Paul: Scribble Art, a drawing technique where loose, freeform, and often overlapping lines are used to form an image usually done in a way that looks spontaneous or even chaotic up close, but reveals a clear picture when viewed as a whole. It can be done using pencils, pens, markers, charcoal, or digital tools. This style emphasizes expression, movement, and creative freedom, often resulting in portraits or scenes filled with emotion and energy despite the simplicity of the technique. You can call it scribble art , scribble is a way of drawing loose and spontaneous lines to create an image. This can be done with any kind of drawing tool, such as a pencil, a marker or even charcoaI.
Mizizi: Is Art growing Africa?
Paul: Yes, the arts and culture sector in Africa has the potential to create jobs, generate income, and foster social cohesion, as well as to reflect and preserve the diverse and rich cultural heritage of the continent therefore, art in Africa is not only a form of expression and identity, but also a source of economic and social development.
Mizizi: Would you say Art goes well with Culture?
Paul: Yes, art and culture go well together because they both express human creativity, values, and experiences. Art and culture can influence each other in many ways, such as: Art can reflect the culture of a place, time, or people. Art can also challenge or change the culture of a place, time, or people, for example, the Renaissance art movement in Europe introduced new ideas of realism, perspective, and humanism that influenced the social and political changes of the period. Culture can provide inspiration and context for art, many artists use their cultural backgrounds, identities, and histories as sources of creativity and meaning for their work.
Mizizi: Describe Paul in two words
Multifaceted human.
