Paint and sip brings together Halifax communities of colour for ‘art therapy’

If you prefer to sip a cold beverage when you paint, a new-to-Halifax live art concept might be for you.

Started by two friends who wanted to create a unique artistic experience, Mauya the Abstract Tribe aims to let people express how they feel through painting.

“I’ve always wanted to attend a paint and sip,” says founder Sasha Paul. “So I decided, instead of waiting for someone, it would be nice to actually initiate this in the city.”

After meeting artist Robert Mbu, Paul says she found a partner for the project.

“I’ve always been, like, honing the artistic side of myself, like with the drawing and the painting,” says Mbu, creative director of Mauya the Abstract Tribe.

“With the paint and sips, I’m sort of the painting guide,” says Mbu. “We love music, music is something that is very central to us, to sort of mold our paint and sips around the different versions of music that have brought a lot of pride to our Black existence.”

Mauya means “welcome” in Shona, a native language in Paul’s home country, Zimbabwe.

“Mauya is not going to be just about paint and sips,” says Paul. “It’s about curating experiences that people, especially Black people in this city, want to be a part of. Because there is a lot that happens within Halifax, but not all of it caters to that community or to any other communities of colour."

Mbu says he aims to create an experience like “art therapy.”

“So they can express exactly how they feel with a certain artistic methodology,” he says.

Mauya the Abstract Tribe is hosting more events in the near future. To learn more, you can visit their Instagram page.