I was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1988. After I finished high school, I studied painting at Addis Ababa University Ale School of Fine Art and graduated in 2011. Since then, I have been working as a full-time studio artist and I have been experimenting with my theme, building my skill as an exhibiting artist, my work has been shown in many group and solo exhibitions. Besides my own personal work, I have been doing commissioned public projects such as monumental mosaic works in my studio and that has had a big influence on my personal artworks.

Career Experience

I became a studio artist in 2011.

– I have been experimenting with my ideas and techniques for my personal works in my studio since 2011.

– I have participated in and managed 20 Government-owned Projects for mosaic artwork and 3 wall paintings.

Publications

• 2022 – AOA (Art of Africa) group exhibition catalog
• 2019 – Article about my exhibition in Reporter magazine
  www.thereporterethiopia.com/article/bold-space-depiction-social-problems
• 2018 – Alliance Ethio-Francaise, solo exhibition catalog.
• 2013, 2014 – Art of Ethiopia, Sheraton, Addis Ababa, catalogue
• 2013 – 1957 Art Show catalogues
• 2013 – Lafto Art Gallery catalogue

Education

2011 Bachelor of Fine Art, Addis Ababa University School of Fine Art and Design, Addis Ababa

Selected Group Exhibitions

• 2022, Art of Africa, Abrak Gallery, Addis Ababa
• 2022, The Grand Art Exhibition, Haile Grand Addis
• 2019, Dima Fine Art Center, Addis Ababa
• 2019, Art Cn gallery, Shanghai, China
• 2014, Art of Ethiopia, Sheraton, Addis Ababa
• 2014, National Museum of Sudan, Khartoum
• 2013, Art of Ethiopia, Sheraton, Addis Ababa
• 2013 National Museum of Ethiopia
• 2013 Radisson Blu Hotel, Addis Ababa
• 2013 Laphto Art Gallery
• 2012 Alliance Ethio-Francaise, Addis Ababa
• 2011 Haile Resort, Hawassa
• 2011 Alliance Ethio-Francaise, Addis Ababa
• 2011 Addis Ababa University, Ale School of Fine Art and Design Gallery

Solo Exhibitions

• 2019 Alliance Ethio-Francaise, Addis Ababa
• 2012 Alliance Ethio-Francaise, Dire Dawa

Government-Owned Monumental Projects

• 2015 – Mosaic art project about the nation and nationality of Gambella region of Ethiopia, Gambella city main roundabout.
• 2015 – ECX – Ethiopian commodity exchange, wall, and canvas painting works for the head office bureau decoration.
• 2016 – Mosaic project about Ethiopian and US culture and innovation, at “WOMEZEKIR” the Ethiopian National Library, funded by the Embassy of the United States of America.
• 2016 – Mosaic project about Benishangul Region culture, at Benishangul Region parliament hall,
  Assosa, Ethiopia.
• 2016 – Ethiopian Railway Corporation, Relief, and Sculpture project at six stations as a subcontractor.
• 2016 – Gimma city main roundabout, the mosaic project as sub-contractor, Ethiopia.
• 2017 – CBE (Commercial Bank of Ethiopia) Addis Ababa District building, depicting of the famous
  Ethiopian painter Tadesse Mesfin’s work in large-size mosaic, under Guramayne art center.
• 2018 – Statue of former Ethiopian national athletics team coach for Ethiopian athletics federation.
• 2019 – 2020 – National Palace of Ethiopia at Prime Minister Office, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• 2020 – Former Ethiopian athlete Shambel Mamo Welde statue for Ethiopian athletics federation,
  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• 2021 – Mosaic artworks for Amhara’s Prosperity Party head office on the exterior fence wall, Bahir Dar Ethiopia.
• 2022 – Mosaic artwork for Amhara Media Corporation headquarter building, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
• 2022 – Sculpture monument of Benishangul region’s famous cultural water jar at Benishangul region administration and regional parliament head office, Assosa, Ethiopia.
• 2022 – Mosaic art for Ethiopian Space Science and Geo-Spatial Institute, Entoto, Ethiopia.
• 2023 – Mosaic art for Ethiopian Space Science and Geo-Spatial Institute, Entoto, Ethiopia.
• 2023 – Mosaic art for Arbaminch University on Arba Minch University main roundabout, Arba Minch, Ethiopia

Company and Private Owned Business Monumental Projects

• 2015 – Contemporary mosaic art project for Rift valley hotel, Adama, Ethiopia.
• 2020 – Contemporary mosaic art project at Lebenz building on elevator walls, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• 2021 – Mosaic art for private business, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• 2021 – Wall Painting for private business, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• 2023 – Mosaic art work in the VIP room of Noara resort, Bishoftu, Ethiopia

Religious Institutions Monumental Projects

• 2023 – Mosaic art for St. John church in the wall of baptism, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• 2023 – On going project of mosaic art on the church dome of Medhanialem church, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Inspiration

My inspiration comes from my perception of my own environment which narrates the integration
between humans and objects and how dependent we are on each other, also how one can be dom
inant over the other. On this idea, I will select the elements and present my own perspective to the
audience.

The concept of my painting series is mainly influenced by my environment, and my observation of the world, by looking around my city and from broadcast, social media, and other platforms which connect me to the world together. This series of mine talks about how the world gave more emphasis to materials than any living beings, especially human beings. For example, in some of my paintings, I put shipping containers in the background to represent the imported and exported materials and accessories from one country or continent to another. I used the signs printed on the containers to show what kind of materials are inside the containers, also the numbers written on the containers as a symbol to express my concept in a poetic way to show how much weight the world is giving the materials. When we see the composition, most of the area of the canvas is covered by shipping containers that is to show how much we are living in a dominant materialistic world but I am not saying these materials are harmful or we shouldn’t use them, I just want to pass my observation and show how much of a priority these materials are to human beings, that’s why I put a large ‘Fragile’ stamps on the figures. We see most material packages with the word ‘Fragile’ stamp on them in order to make us cautious in taking care of the material during transportation. But in my series, human beings, and other living beings are more fragile than material because when we (humans) are introduced to one material, we become addicted to it, and we cannot live without it. For example, the internet, electronics, pharmaceutical medicines, power (light), cosmetics, money, oil (petroleum), video games, and many others could be taken as some of the few examples of things human beings can’t live without.