H O N O R I N G

T H E

PA I N T E R

P O E T

G E B R E K R I S T O S D E S TA

Contents
4

Foreword

Gebre Kristos Desta - Ethiopias

Painter & Poet Extraordinaire
(1932-1981)

17

Wosene Worke Kosrof

18

The Marketing Dilemma of

Contemporary Ethiopian Art

20

Out of This World

23

Addis Art Gallery

25

Artist Biographies & Plates

33

The Arranger

Cover Art: Gebre Kristos Desta Flower No. 4 Oil on hardboard, 24 X 48, 1974

HONORING THE PAINTER POET

G E B R E K R I S T O S D E S TA
The Blen Team

Achamyeleh Debela
Esseye Medhin
Sayem Osman
Salem Berhanu
Robel Kassa
Makeda Agonafer
Nolawi Petros

Blen GraFix & Artworks

www.blenmagazine.com | www.blenartshow.com | www.blengrafix.com | 202.269.2066

Correspondence: Send letters and articles to [email protected] or mail it to BLEN Inc. 302 Seaton Pl NE, Washington DC 20002
2006, Blen Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without expressed written permission is strictly prohibited. Contents reflect only views of
writers, not of BLEN Inc.

Foreword
Dear readers,
Thank you for your continued support to the Blen Team. With your avid encouragement, the 3rd Annual Blen Art Show, Celebrating the Life of Skunder Boghossian,
was an overwhelming success. The 4th Annual Blen Art Show, like the previous
ones, continues to promote visual art and honor an international visual and poetic
icon, Gebre Kristos Desta. The show will be open to the public in Washington D.C.
on November 11, 2006, and will remain open until November 25, 2006. Original
works of the late painter and poet, Gebre Kristos Desta, our distinguished guest,
Wosene Kosrof, and other prominent artists will be exhibited at this historical
event.
Art has formed an integral and ubiquitous part of human civilization from its earliest stages. Every now and then, however, a pioneer emerges to channel creativity
in new and unimagined directions, changing the face of art itself. Gebre Kristos
Desta is one of those unique innovators, guiding a generation not only with his
unparalleled paintings, but with the genius of his pen. Both a visual and literary
icon, Gebre Kristos is truly one of the fathers of modern Ethiopian art. With our
4th Annual Blen Art Show, we pay tribute to the life and work of this remarkable
man.
Blen plays a vital part in the development of the artistic community worldwide.
Bringing international and local artists together for four years, Blen bridges the
gap between the classic and contemporary in Ethiopian art. The extremes of any
culture; the deepest sorrows, the worst outrages, the most poignant beauty, and
the dearest hopes for the future, are revealed in its art. Far from being merely aesthetic, art is the voice of culture itself, and our continued endorsement of the arts
protects the best of our heritage. Blens commitment to introducing new work and
commemorating the accomplishments of established artists assists in engineering
appreciation of art and culture in a new generation of Ethiopian youth.
Blen, however, is by no means alone in its goal of promoting valuable artwork. We
would like to confer special recognition to the Dimension Group, located in Addis
Ababa, which is also devoted to honoring extraordinary Ethiopian artwork and has
previously acknowledged the achievements of our featured artist, the painter-poet
Gebre Kristos Desta. In addition, the German Cultural Center in collaboration with
Addis Ababa University produced a catalogue of Gebre Kristos work, helping to
extend knowledge of this remarkable visionary beyond his home country. Where
such committed members of the community still exist, the precious messages
communicated in visual art will never be lost.
An imperative part of sustaining the efforts of these artists is the maintenance of
facilities dedicated to collecting and displaying Ethiopian pieces. The opening of
Artful Gallery in Washington D.C., and Addis Art Gallery in Los Angeles, California,
which feature Ethiopian art selectively, is an exciting development. Other art exhibitions, such as the highly anticipated upcoming event co-curated by Achamyeleh

Debela and Rebecca Nagy, Continuity and Change: 3 Generations of Ethiopian Artists, also contribute to spreading knowledge of resonant Ethiopian art movements.
This exhibit, scheduled for January, 2007, focuses on modern art in Ethiopia and
the contributions of the Addis Ababa Fine Art School, featuring artists from the
1900s up to the present, such as Agegnehu Endeda, Skunder Boghossian, Gebre
Kristos Desta and Afework Tekle. The mobile exhibition will first be held at the
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida and later at Diggs Gallery of
Winston-Salem State University, in N.C.
Appreciation of Ethiopias art scene is not limited to physical shows and galleries, however. The advent of virtual space allows the general public to penetrate
the varied facets of Ethiopian art. Amha Asfaws compiled poems of Gebre Kristos Desta and other poets, the Debre Hayq online art gallery (www.ethiopianart.
org) and forums such as Art-topia, an online group, also contribute to the vitality,
publicity, and active study of Ethiopian art. By creating online reservoirs of knowledge accessible worldwide, interested individuals can discover the rich history
and dynamic progress of Ethiopian art. We hope that all members of the Ethiopian
community and those who love Ethiopian art will support these important venues
and forums. Involvement and attention of the community stands as a singularly
essential aspect of the continuation and development of Ethiopian art.
Blen has previously played an integral role in maintaining the rapport between
Ethiopian art and the community with art shows, the creation of discussion groups,
and hosting open forums for art appreciation. The enormous effort and finance
assumed in the delivery of the Blen Art Show and Blen Magazine, however, have
proved to be a serious challenge. Shortages in production manpower have forced
the Blen Team to reevaluate the frequency of our major projects, namely the annual show and magazine. While the Blen Team does intend to sponsor future
events, shows will cease to be annual occurrences.
Over the years, I have been privileged to work with talented and inspiring individuals, scholars, and artists from all over the world. My heartfelt thanks goes out
to all who have helped along the way and to all those who supported with their
interest and effort. I am always grateful. In the last annual show and publication,
please join us in celebrating the legacy of Gebre Kristos Desta and also in welcoming the future in the accomplishments of our newest modern artists.

Ephrem M. Girma
Blen Art Show Coordinator

The 4th Annual Blen Art Show

Exhibiting
&

Gebre Kristos Desta

Wosene Kosrof

Abebe Zelelew
Beshowamyelesh Gedamu
Dilip Sheth
Elsa Gebreyesus
Endalkachew Girma
Esayas Kebede
Ezra Wube
Martha Mangestu
Mathewos Legesse
Mekbib Gebertsadik
Meseret G Desta
Nebyou Tesfaye
Solomon Asfaw
Teferi Gizachew
Yisehak Selassie
Yohanis Mibrathu
Yohannes Tesfaye

November 11 - 25, 2006

Artful Gallery

1349 Maryland Ave NE, Washington DC 20002

www.artfulframing.com
www.blenartshow.com
301.270.2427
202.269.2066

G E B R E K R I S T O S D E S TA
19321981

to the Haile Sellassie 1st School and finished at the General Wingate High School. He later
joined the Science Department at the Haile Sellassie 1st University, presently Addis Ababa
University. In a country where agrarian workers comprise 90 percent of the population, Gebre
Kristos was encouraged by his family to become a professional farmer. Gebre Kristos did not,
however, pursue the field of scientific agriculture in college. Instead, his spare time was spent
reading all available material on art. The young student also painted whenever possible. Up
to his sophomore year in college, Gebre Kristos was a self-taught artist, but the desire and
conviction to be a professional artist persisted. His inclination towards the arts grew stronger
until Gebre Kristos finally abandoned his studies and left the University at the end of his second year, all in the hope of becoming a full time artist.
Between the time he left the University College and his travel abroad to study art, Gebre-Kristos worked for several agencies that helped to mould him into a serious and mature individual.
He worked in the Soil Analysis Chemical Laboratory of the Imperial Ethiopian Government,
Highway Authority. He was an apprentice engineer, working with Alidade and Map Charting
section in the Geological Department of the State Bank of Ethiopia, and his first teaching
experience was at the Sebestie Negasie Elementary School, as an English, Geography, and
General Science Teacher. His first paid job as an artist also took place before his departure
to study art in West Germany. Gebre-Kristos was appointed as a graphic artist with the task
of illustrating childrens books in a U.S., Government sponsored program then known as the
Point of Four Education.
Young Gebre Kristos was an athlete who played soccer and volleyball and lifted weights to
keep his body in good shape. However in his early twenties he became ill and developed a
disease which altered his skin pigmentation. This tragic experience became a turning point in
Gebre-Kristos life, and he continuously tried to find a cure, both at home and later abroad.

Gebre Kristos Desta; Ethiopias Painter and Poet

Extraordinaire (1932-1981)
By Achamyeleh Debela

Gebre Kristos Desta was one of Ethiopias leading painters, a poet and an inspiring and dedicated teacher. From his exemplary life and work in pre and post-revolutionary Ethiopia, his
work and experiences in exile, until his untimely death in 1981 in Lawton, Oklahoma, USA,
Gebre Kristos created many important milestones in the history of contemporary Ethiopia art.
Gebre Kristos Desta, the painter-poet, was born in 1932 in the Eastern province of Harar,
Ethiopia. His father, Aleka Desta, was a clergyman in Harar and a graphic artist with the title
Aleka. Aleka Desta was trained as an apprentice in the church school and was familiar with
traditional clerical literature and religious art of the Ethiopian Coptic Orthodox Church. Like
most accomplished traditional artists, he copied many religious manuscripts with illustrations
that depicted events from the Old and New Testaments, as well as the lives of the saints and
other traditional themes. Gebre Kristos observed his father and indeed admired his ability to
write and illustrate as well as decorate religious literature. Thus, as a child, began his affinity
and influence towards art.1
Gebre Kristos Desta completed his elementary education in his native town of Harar. Like
most children of his age, young Gebre Kristos had the dream of becoming a soldier. He went
Gebrekristos Desta | Oil collage on hard-board 31 X 35 In, 1967

Gebre Kristos Destas early encounter with the rather disturbing reality of the haves and the
have-nots was an unforgettable experience. In Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, he
observed how his fellow country men and women were reduced to the vagaries of unemployment, begging, prostitution and disease. The impact of his observations resulted in a series
of paintings done in the years 1950-1951, and 1953; such as Poor Family, and Meimenan.
This series of paintings, among others, was exhibited at the United States Information Service Library in 1954, where Gebre Kristos Desta was at the time employed as an illustrator.
These early pieces demonstrate the deep personal impression made by the suffering present
on the streets of Addis. In these stunning works,
the depiction of stark human misery is exposed by
the subjects protruding bones and gaunt figures,
which he depicted vividly and unabashedly.
Gebre Kristos overwhelming desire to study
abroad was realized when he won a scholarship
in 1957. From 1957 to 1961, he studied painting
and graphics at the Werschule fur Bildende Kunste und Gestaltung, an art school in Cologne, West
Germany where graduated at the top of his class.
For his outstanding achievement, he was awarded
a private studio to help him develop his art. While
in Germany, he met a variety of famous abstract
painters, and it was there that he developed his
interest in abstract expressionism. Among others,


he was well acquainted with the works of the Russian abstractionist Wassity Kandinsky, and
many of the pioneer abstractionists, including expressionist painters in Europe in general, and
Germany in particular. After graduation from the Cologne Art Academy he held his first one
man exhibition at the Gallery Kuppeers, Cologne. This first exhibition turned out to be greatly
successful. It was held after one year of work and an extensive six month tour of Western Europe. The focus of the educational tour was art schools, art academies, art education programs
at higher education institutions, and museums and galleries of art.
Gebre Kristos was highly motivated. In Germany, as well as other parts of Europe, he was
exposed to a variety of tools, techniques and art forms. He fully embraced new technique and
medium, and excelled in mastering it. His canvasses in Germany were cool and nostalgic. For
a while, flat surfaces, drawn in sharp, tortured lines, filled with dull gray colors were to occupy his palette. A certain amount of bitterness in those canvasses was apparent. Skeletons
reemerged consistently. He emphatically expressed human misery and his own social preoccupation seemed to have grown into a somber obsession.
Gebre Kristoss studies and hard work paid off and he demonstrated his artistic talent and dexterity at his first exhibition at the Gallery Kuper in Cologne. His first gallery debut was greeted
with recognition of his work as that of an accomplished artist when a reviewer wrote:

...he kept the metamorphic; he likes to show fixed contours and has an expressive
delight in colors, so that one may characterize the result a tranquil expressionism
with an extraneous accent. Sometimes geometrical forms appear and almost constructional formations, but the fine restraint of contrary shades lends a particular
attraction to all products. 2

Gebre Kristos Desta working on a painting in the mid 70s | Featured on the Cover | Flower No. 4

Gebre Kristos returned to Ethiopia in 1962. Upon his return, he introduced his art to his people
in a one-man show, held at the School of Fine Arts in 1963, where he was also a member of the
faculty. It was at this juncture that Gebre Kristos began to face the challenges faced by many
contemporary African artists of his caliber. His art was met with negative review. His critics
were quick to point fingers and say that his foreign art forms snubbed traditional Ethiopian art
by opting for modern and alien structures. His reply was:

It is funny that people who know nothing about the history of art attach such exaggerated importance to the art of their own country. They dont realize how international art really is. Piccaso would hardly have created his Cubism had he not
seen African Art. Matisse was influenced by Islamic traditions. Gauguin went as
far as Tahiti to find new inspiration. We create ultra modern houses in our developing countries. We build super highways on which we drive the latest model cars
from all over the world. We use all sorts of up-to-date international styles in technology, science, education, medicine and what have you. Why in the world should
art be different? (Head, 1969)

Gebrekristos Desta | Landscape painting Title, size and date unknown

His decision to form himself as an abstract painter was conscious and deliberate. When asked
why his chose to specialize in abstract art, Gebre-Kristos Desta said:

If an artist were to devote his artistic life to the reproduction of figures and forms
as they exist, he would be competing with the camera, which is best suited for this
type of production. An artist goes beyond the matter of the story.And therefore,
the realistic is insufficient. The artist seeks to find another language to express
what is beyond. This could be the reason for abstract paintings.

About the same time as Gebre Kristos one man show, in an attempt to enlighten Ethiopian
critics who jumped to the conclusion that abstract art is foreign to Ethiopian tradition,
critic Solomon Deressa wrote, How much more abstract can one get than the non-figurative
Ethiopian manuscript illuminations or the steles of Axum which are skyscrapers complete with
windows and doors, but definitely closed to anyone trying to penetrate their mystery? (Deressa, 1966-67) Deressa further explains a nagging problem that was repeatedly used by self
proclaimed critics of the day; a problem of undefined concept of Ethiopianism in art.
Just as asphalt roads built to connect two points of the empire are Ethiopian, containing all
the qualities and defects of the Ethiopians who build them, so too a house designed for the
comfortable living of an Ethiopian family within the country is Ethiopian regardless of whether

not be enriched by his exposure to Western art culture? And, if so, would that render his art
less African than his contemporaries in Africa? The criticism that Gebre Kristos faced was not
something he could easily ignore. Not only was his integrity as an artist questioned but also
his national pride as an Ethiopian. His answer to such accusation was:

Gebrekristos Desta | Flowers No. 1 Oil on hard-board 48 X 74 In, 1967

the kitchen is inside or out. A house built for natives of this country renders daily living. Timeconsuming strategies and uncomfortable edifices are not un-Ethiopian, but simply bad. A
skyscraper in some village in Wollega, therefore, though its motifs may be Ethiopian, would
reflect on the builders lack of common sense.

The Ethiopian Church Art, which is regarded as an important part of our cultural
heritage and which I am accused of discarding in favor of foreign styles - this supposedly indigenous art actually is Byzantine in style. It too incorporates foreign
elements and arrives, perhaps, at a characteristically Ethiopian synthesis. Now the
same thing will happen in the present age. Fifty years from now, we may see a new
Ethiopian tradition evolving, one which draws on what the rest of the world has to
offer, but which is more than the sum of its parts. Dont misunderstand me; I do
not for a moment, deny the importance of preserving traditional arts, and we have
artists here who are doing just that. But not everybody need be in the preservation
business. There are pioneers in art just as there are in other fields. Im interested
in moving on, in showing our society that an Ethiopian can achieve something in the
most modern way.
Imbued with the conviction that there is as much need to advance art as science and technology, Gebre Kristos dedication to abstract art is a courageous act that can only be pursued
by an artist of the pioneer spirit. Indeed, this contemporary African artist has boldly pursued
unhindered creativity, both as a painter, and a poet. He has introduced a new approach and

A portrait of a German girl by a good Ethiopian painter is necessarily more Ethiopian than
either a portrait of an Ethiopian face by a foreigner, or a schmaltzy portrait of an Ethiopian
peasant by a slick Ethiopian painter. The schmaltz is neither Ethiopian nor un-Ethiopian, but
quite simply bad. In short, it is difficult to realize how a good work by a sincere Ethiopian artist
can be anything but Ethiopian. (Deressa, 1966-67).
Similarly, when the criticism comes from the western critics, and art historians, it comes from
an undefined concept of what African art should be or how and what a contemporary African
artist should paint. Such a concept is neither helpful nor practical, but born of ignorance and
a deliberate attempt at perpetuating the idea that African art and culture is static. This kind of
criticism, both at home and abroad is not new to contemporary African artists who are trained
abroad and who come home with new techniques and media, and present works of art of a
new method and process. These artists face a dilemma. He or she is expected to produce
a uniquely African art. What is not realized is the fact that the contemporary African artist does not create in a void. Western influence, whether one likes it or not, is a fact of life.
Therefore, it is a denial of historic truth and a double standard to impose on the contemporary
African artist such values that are Western, or Euro-American. If, in fact, traditional African
art can influence Western art and it is accepted as normal historic and artistic process, and
that the Western (European) artist has not, as a result of his being influenced, lost his or her
identity, why in the world should Western influence on African art be uniquely African? Why
it is a difficulty for anyone to understand that change is inevitable and perfectly acceptable
for the contemporary African artist to express himself or herself according to his/her experience?
If history were to serve as a reminder, Gauguin spent a tremendous amount of his artistic life
working under the influence of the people and tradition of the South Seas. Was he not greatly
influenced by what he saw? And does that render his work less European than his contemporaries in Europe? Is it not a fact that traditional African art and Eastern Asiatic art has enriched
the visions of the European artist? Why in the world should the visions of the African artist

Gebrekristos Desta | Shoe Shine Boys Oil on hard-board 47 X 39 In, 1967

11

a new form of expression of art in a grand manner to Africa in general, and to Ethiopia in
particular. He eagerly shared his views about the world around him; his personal experiences
about life, his moments of contemplation and conversation with nature - the human misery
and the complexity of modern man. He wanted us to see beyond the ordinary, and used colors,
lines, textures, and shapes and forms to achieve this end. He created visual signals, a new
language, and a new media; the symbolic meaning of which we have to learn to see, symbols
different by far from the complex abstract Christian symbols found in the pictorial art of the
predominantly religious art of Ethiopia.
Gebre Kristos was convinced of our ability to access a deep psychological level of communication through form, shape, color, line and texture, as is evident in his presentation of such
exemplary works as Green Abstract. Gebre Kristos builds composition around a focal, shining center, a core of vibrating energy, and harmoniously develops around crystallizing waves
suspended in luminous file. In this dramatic and new approach to reality there is a feeling of
serenity, a soft blending of light and dark surfaces to create interplay of forms. The circle as

In 1965, despite frequent sharp criticism, G.K. won the Haile Sellassie 1st prize Trust Award
in Fine Arts, and his accomplishments were officially recognized. The citation praised him
as an artist with outstanding creative and interpretive abilities and as one who is largely
responsible for introducing non-figurative art to his country. One author suggested without
documentation that the citation might have been even more meaningful had it credited Gebre
Kristos as being one of the earliest exponents and not the foremost practitioner of abstract
art in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He continued his search, always faithful to his moods, never seeming to reconcile with the
world that he was scrutinized to the last brush stroke. His abstract compositions dealing with
form, shape, line and color were not a series on a specific theme at any given period. While
Green Abstract was done in 1966, similarly named compositions were to follow, such as
White Abstract in 1967, Red Abstract in 1968 and Blue Abstract in 1969. The relationship linking these paintings is that of the use of the circle. The texture and/or surface quality
in Blue Abstract is more dramatic and lines seem to have been diffused. A relatively heavier
impasto technique has prevailed. In 1969, G. K. introduced a new theme,
a reminder in the intricacy and complex aspect of the new in Television
and abstract representation of the flickering colors and images reduced
to fused lines and colors. That same year he produced Abstraction and
Late Evening Sun.
It is when Gebre Kristos comes to terms, as he did from time to time, with
the visible world of semi-abstraction that a dramatic synthesis of anguish
and resignation takes place. This is best demonstrated by his painting
titled Age. Gebre Kristos found his inspiration from the simple, ordinary, everyday things in his surrounding. He once said that his work is
the expression of his own ideas in a search to interpret his surroundings,
to pose and ask questions about probable solutions to life. He said his
was a conscious attempt to think by way of the almost inexplicable and
never ending idea,

Gebre Kristos Desta teaching at the Addis Ababa Fine Art School (date unknown)

leitmotif in his paintings has become very much a language that is as symbolic as the skeletons that kept reappearing in many of his early works. The circles, Gebre Kristos. explained,
are symbols of universal things; mouth, earth, and sun, etc., and more importantly, they also
make interesting patterns. (Talbot, 1966)
Green Abstract was done in 1966 along with September, Water Carriers, and in 1965,
Tam Tam and Small Market. The circle both in the non-figurative pieces as well as suggestive abstracted figurative paintings continues to be a dominant visual symbol. Expounding
on his stamp as an artist, the use of this sign, Gebre Kristos, said:

The circle is infinite, unending. It symbolizes the hemisphere and heavenly bodies.
It is in line with the search for a solution in life, when it frequently happens that
one may believe he has reached the optimum solution only to find, (since art is life
itself) that the search must continue, a perfect solution remains forever elusive.
(Talbot, 1966)
Gebre Kristos continued his search while teaching at the School of Fine Art in Addis Ababa.

This prolific contemporary African artist was equally a brilliant poet and
unleashed an equally controversial outrage on both counts. In fact, his
approach to poetry was different from that of the traditional Amharic poems. His critics question whether they are poems at all. He broke from tradition by introducing new rhythms and
several levels and dimensions. Solomon Deressa, a contemporary author, poet, critic and
friend of Gebre Kristos Desta predicted that, When the first volume of his collected poems
appear, chances are that Amharic poetry might never be the same, Both a catalogue of his
work in English and a book of his collected poems were published this year, thanks to the
Institute of Ethiopian Studies and the Goethe Institute in Addis and the German Government.
Solomon Deressa, in a letter to African Arts observed Gebre Kristos Desta, a painter who
perhaps overly cerebral on canvas, is so far the only Ethiopian poet who, unwittingly or not,
has unleashed a raging controversy in the local papers as to whether his poems are poems
at all. It is difficult to believe that the journalists fail to see the sparse beauty of his rhythm
in several dimensions. (Deressa, 1966-67) He further explained as to why this was so. He
wrote, One assumes that his offense has been to break with the sedate tradition of Amharic
poetry which, put grossly, amounts to variation on the kind of poetry that Alexander Pope
wrote. (Deresssa, 1966-67)
One of my favorites is Gebre-Kristoss poem to a painting and I believe it implies what Deressa
calls bare lines reminiscent of the skeletons in his paintings.

To Painting
This Journey has no end stimulate, translate
Swimming the colors
Playing with line
Crushing into light
Occupying the unoccupied to experience, to create
To search
To search
The uncreated, to create
Baiting a dialogue with the invisible.
Interrogating life
Questioning thought
Questioning the Universe
To move
To go to go
Beyond the moon, beyond the stars, beyond the sky
Journey to the unknown to occupy the unoccupied.
By thought and thought hidden
To search, to bring out!
This Journey has no end.

Translation by Solomon Deressa

The poetic line has the daggers capacity to stab. Fragmented images provide clear openings
into caverns that related forms by their relatedness cannot possibly penetrate.
Ever since his first successful one man show at the Gallery Kuppers in Cologne, Gebre Kristos
Desta has held numerous exhibitions both at home and abroad. He was truly an ambassador
of his culture and his art. He served in an ambassadorial capacity, heading cultural delegates
and traveling with touring Ethiopian art exhibitions in Europe. In 1965, Gebre Kristos was the
recipient of the Haile Sellassie 1st prize National Award for the Fine Arts. In 1967, he was
invited to exhibit his works and to visit important museums, artistic, and historic sites in the
USSR. The same year he visited and exhibited his works in Czechoslovakia by invitation of the
government of that country. In 1970, he was invited by the Federal Republic of West Germany
to present his work as well as visit important places of art interest. Also in 1970, on the occasion of the founding of higher education in Ethiopia, Gebre Kristos was invited by the National
University Alumni Association to exhibit his works at the Kennedy Memorial Library in Addis
Ababa. The following year, Gebre Kristos was awarded Best Teacher of the Year by the
Ministry of Education and Fine Arts. A similar honor was bestowed upon him by the Office of
Addis Ababa Schools in 1972. The same year the U.S. Department of State invited him to visit
as well as exhibit his work in the United States of America. Two years later the Government of
India extended a similar invitation to Gebre Kristos to exhibit his work and visit places of art.

In 1974 the Ethiopian revolution erupted. The Derg, which was then the provisional military
government, proclaimed what was known as the Zamacha, a National Campaign for Education through Cooperation. Some 60,000 students from high schools and the university were
dispersed all over the country to propagate and assist in teaching rural Ethiopia about the new
changes. Gebre Kristos, like many teachers served in the campaign as an art expert of the
Zamacha. Upon his return he was awarded a certificate and a gold medal. Several studies of
his experience and observation were included as part of a retrospective exhibition that was
held in 1976-77. In 1976, he was invited by the Municipality of Addis Ababa to start the first
government sponsored gallery in Ethiopia, which was to be known as the City Hall Gallery.
In 1977, two young and talented Ethiopian artists, Eshetu Truneh and Tadesse Mesfin, were
featured as part of the City Hall Gallerys annual Schedule of Exhibits. I met Gebre Kristos at
that show. Two years later he was invited to participate at a workshop and exhibit his work at
the Pa Ya Pa Gallery in Kenya. From there he traveled to West Germany where he languished
for a year waiting for some form of asylum. The German government chose not to give Gebre
Kristos asylum, apparently afraid of reprisals from the Ethiopian government. Gebre Kristos
was simply told that he was not to be granted asylum because he was famous and that the
publicity at the time would endanger a rather delicate diplomatic relationship between the two
countries. In 1980, a Catholic church in Lawton, Oklahoma offered assistance. Gebre Kristos
Desta, once the cultural ambassador of his country, who has with honor and pride exhibited in
Yugoslavia, Greece, India, West Germany, USSR, USA, Canada, Kenya, Nigeria (Festac), Tanzania, Brazil, Ghana, Spain, Italy, and Belgium, came to Lawton, Oklahoma as a refugee. The
pain, anguish and humiliation took its toll. In Lawton, Gebre Kristos lived in a one room apartment where he began to work on small scale stills. While in Lawton, Gebre Kristos taught art
part time in the local YMCA and later at a high school. He was suddenly took ill and died in
1981. Prior to his untimely death, he had a one man show in Oklahoma City, opened by the
mayor, at the Gallery of Witchitas where 47 of his most recent works were displayed. These
works ranged from 11 x 16 in. (the smallest) to 48 x 48 in. (the biggest) and used acrylic,
oil, collage on paper, canvas and masonite. With titles like Military Checking, The WheelChair, Break Time, On the Roadside, Football One and a New Home, the majority of
these works included still life studies of tulips and a variety of flowers and aquariums. Gebre
Kristos Desta was a unique individual, a man, an artist extraordinary, a poet, a teacher and an
Ethiopian with his head high in the clouds and his feet firmly planted in the Ethiopian soil. He
is indeed very much alive through his work, in which he shared his very being with the world.
The Gebre Kristos Center under the Goethe Institute Addis Ababa, Gebre Kristos Center was
opened in 2006 after great anticipation. Some thirty pieces by Gebre Kristos Desta were returned from Germany and were entrusted to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies under the directorship of Elizabeth Wolde Giorgis. The rather delicate negotiation and collaboration between
the Addis Ababa University leadership and the Goethe Cultural Institute / German Government
resulted in a renovation of the former palace of the crown prince Asfaw Wossen Haile Sellassie at Sidist Kilo. A rather handsome facility has been developed from the former palace
and is intended accommodate the mission and objectives of the Goethe Cultural Institute as
well as house a space serves as a gallery to permanently exhibit works by Gebre Kristos. There
was jubilation by friends and admirers of Gebre Kristos Desta at the opening of the center.
Memorable speeches were made, including a letter of acknowledgement by the prime minister. Gebre Kristos deserved a place where his gift to his people would find a home and his
major works would be made available to the Ethiopian public. I, for one, was privy to earlier
discussions of a gallery space, a small research library dedicated to his work and possibly his
contemporaries so that the young and old who are interested to read and write on his work
13

Gebre Kristos Desta | Reservation Acrylic on carton 29 X 29, 1979

Gebre Kristos Desta Green Abstract Oil on canvas 31 X 47, 1966

Gebre Kristos Desta | Crystalline Oil on hardboard 31 X 39, 1975

15

Gebre Kristos Desta | Inclining Nude Oil on hardboard 38 X 35, 1973

would have access to not only the physical or original works of art but also to literature, photographs, recordings and anything
archival about the artist and his life.
As it turned out, the result was not as anticipated. The gallery space cannot accommodate even thirty pieces. The exhibit is
not permanent, as activities of the Goethe Institute seem to require constant reprogramming and shuffling of rooms. Here, the
dismantling of the Gebre Kristos art works as often as the program dictates, and accommodating changing activities of the institute is indeed an abrogation of the spirit of public trust. It deprives the public of the opportunity to see his works and physically
endangers the pieces themselves. No full time curator will oversee the movement or storage of the collection, increasing the
chances that they may be lost, damaged or destroyed. I am sure the intentions of the Goethe Cultural Institute are well, however,
a rethinking and replanning of the meaning and objectives of the Gebre Kristos Center needs to be revisited by both the Institute
of Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University and the Goethe Cultural Institute Gebre Kristos Desta Center.
I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Blen Team and those who have dedicated themselves to organize The Annual Blen Art Show by Ethiopian artists at home and in the Diaspora, and behind the scenes at that. I take the liberty to intervene
and undo the Muia Balib Naw idea and let you, the reader of this article, that they have done an excellent job to date and
deserve all the accolades that they have not demanded. I am particularly delighted that they chose to dedicate these shows to
the modern masters, last year to Skunder Boghossian, and this, the 4th Annual Blen Art Show, to Gebre Kristos Desta
Acha Debela is a former student of Gebre Kristos Desta and presently a North Carolina Central University art professor in Durham, North Carolina.
Interestingly, there was a pencil drawing entitled Maternity or Misla Fikur Wolda, a depiction of Mary and baby Jesus. This drawing, included in the retrospective
exhibition of 1977 at the City Hall Gallery in Addis Ababa, was a sketch done in 1938 at the age of seven. At the time, he was closely watching his father make parchments,
draw, paint religious figures and illustrate stories from the New and Old Testaments, including the lives of Ethiopian saints. Exhibition catalogue entitled: A Retrospective
Exhibition, Gebre Kristos Desta, at City Hall Gallery June-July, 1977.

Kolner Stadtanzeiger, January 12, 1962

Wosene Worke Kosrof

Taken from www.wosene.com

For over twenty-five years, Ethiopian-born

artist Wosene Worke Kosrof has explored
the aesthetic potential of language, using
the written symbols of his native Amharic
as the major compositional element in his
work. In his paintings, the calligraphic forms
of Amharic are broken apart, abstracted, and
reconfigured to create a new visual language
that draws upon the artists Ethiopian heritage while incorporating his experiences as
an expatriate living in the United States. As
Wosene explains (the artist has chosen his
first name as his professional name), The
symbols bring my culture to me and at the
same time I recreate my culture with the symbols, producing a unique international visual
language.
Born in 1950, Wosene received his BFA in
1972 from the School of Fine Arts in Addis
Ababa. Although Wosenes work gained early
recognition within Addis Ababas lively culture scene of the time, the oppressive political climate that developed in the aftermath of
the 1974 military coup prompted him to leave
Ethiopia. In 1978, he enrolled at Howard University in Washington, DC, to pursue graduate studies in studio painting, obtaining his
MFA in 1980. Wosene has exhibited internationally in museums and galleries since
1970, receiving increasing recognition since
the late 1980s. His work is represented in the
permanent collections of museums in Africa,
the United States, and Europe, including the
National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress. In
1998, he became the first African artist to participate in the Rockefeller artist-in-residence
program in Bellagio, Italy. Wosene currently
maintains a studio in Oakland, California, and
resides in Berkeley, CA.

The improvisational quality

that Wosene values in jazz is
central to his artistic process.
He does not work from a preparatory sketch, but begins by
negotiating with the canvas,
discerning which forms begin
to emerge from its space. Once
the Amharic symbols surface
visually, he works with the
lines and shapes in a process
he describes as choreography
or a dialogue. Wosene works
using acrylic paints, a medium
that fosters a sense of immediacy. He explains, I like to
work with fast-drying acrylic
paints, because they draw me
into the painting process and
strengthen my concentration
by forcing me to constantly
make aesthetic decisions.

Wosene Kosrof | The Preacher III | Acrylic on canvas 44

Wosene has created three distinct series of

works since 1980 that focus on the written language of Amharic. In his first series, entitled
Graffiti Magic (1980-1987), the artist used Amharic symbols as a form of visual protest, drawing upon their conventional meanings in his work. The second series, Africa: The New Alphabet (1988-1994), created new meanings for the written symbols, exploring and including
motifs from many cultures throughout Africa. Wosene began the third series, The Color of
Words, from which the paintings in the (Neuberger and Newark exhibits) were drawn, in 1995
and continues to work on it to this day. In this third series, the symbols become abstract visual
images that move localized ideas about history, culture, and memory beyond their culturally
specific boundaries.

Wosene readily acknowledges the complexity of his position as a transnational artist,

yet resists classification as a
representative of an artistic
movement or group. As an
artist who worked to move
traditions into contemporary
art, Wosene states, I see
myself definitely as a representative of contemporary art
in Africa....I also see myself
as an individual, drawing on
my culture, bringing my culture to the wider world...Im
simply trying to examine and
interpret my own emotional
X 36, 2000 (National Museum of African Art)
understandings, my feelings,
and my spiritual journey, using the Amharic writing as a base. Having lived in the United States for more than twentyfive years, Wosenes relationship to Ethiopia is shaped as much by the continuing presence
of his memories as it is by his physical absence from the country itself. The artists hybrid
identity is revealed in highly textured and visually dense canvases that evoke a world in which
animated dialogue around a neighborhood fire in Addis Ababa coexists with the sounds of jazz
streaming from a Berkeley coffeehouse.
The Ethiopia that finds expression in Wosenes art is at once culturally specific in its visual
vocabulary, highly personal in its interpretation, and international in its outlook, reflecting the
complex realities of contemporary artistic practice in a global society.

17

The Marketing Dilemma of Contemporary

Ethiopian Art
Esseye Medhin

In the history of 20th century Ethiopian visual art, the folk, the religious folk, the self- taught
genre and souvenir artists were the first to sell their works on the open market. Most of
these artists take their inspirations and their subject matter from the church classical works
or from the work of formally trained artists. For whatever reason, foreign collectors and
writers preferred the self-taught and the folk artists to those of formally trained artists. As
a result, the work of self taught and folk artists slowly became almost fully commercialized. The collectors also created the Ethiopian art world by writing and talking about it.
Presently, some of these works reside in the permanent collection of museums and in private
collections both in Ethiopia and abroad. If the folk artists were able to succeed in their commercial and artistic ventures, it was because they had advantages that their formally-trained
counterparts did not.
Since the time the first art students arrived from Western countries in the 1920s, the majority
have been preoccupied with the question of fame for their country in the face of the modern
world. As they were government employees, whatever work they produced on commission,
in private, outside of their job, they related to the cultural significance and to their artistic
achievements, not to the art market. The emotional and sentimental commitment they maintained to their country and its history gave them strength and compensated for their lack of
material comfort. Even the occasional art shows in hotels, schools and cultural centers in the
1950s and 1960s were more to satisfy an artistic ego than to sell. During the 1960s, when
Ethiopian modern art drew considerable attention, the Zemenay, Ethiopian Modernist artists,
and thirty years later, in the 1990s, the new masters, members of the Addis International,
Friendship of Women Artists (FOWA), Point Group, Dimension Group and other individual artists, did not use their talents to winning the support of people who could have promoted their
art. Instead, they dedicate themselves to artistic passion, to their reputation and tied their art
only to their cultural activities. Their only compensation, respect and celebrity status still hung
on the shoulder of their successors and has become to some a burden, to many a nuisance and
still to others a driving force.
The myth that artists are taught to make art, not money and the romantic opposition of art and
commerce were at the heart of their education. They acted more like dilettantes than professional artists. Unfortunately, economically unbeneficial art in its return is only satisfying if it
is only a hobby. Whether or not these artists genuinely try to avoid the commercial element
of art, or think that the market is dangerous or debasing to art is a matter to speculate. In any
case, until very recently, the majority of formally trained exhibiting artists bypassed the embryonic art market and dedicated themselves to artistic passion and tied their art to a greater
cause. Until very recently, contemporary Ethiopian artists were not in a position to market
their work, let alone support themselves by selling it.
Whereas the quest for Western training characterized much of modern Ethiopian art and in
considerable ways directed its future, the century-old Ethiopian modern art endures in the absence of a Western kind of art world and its institutions. The modern art worldand its network
of collectors, critics, dealers, scholars, patrons, art press, open art market and museums, auction houses, galleries and art schools did not exist. When one of the most artistically successful Zemenay artists, Skunder Boghossian, left the country in 1969, Stanislaw Chojnacki wrote

that he left with the

obvious intention of
finding a larger audience for his activities. In reality, it is
not so much that the
audience of at least
40 million people at
that time was missing in Ethiopia. It is
the kind of audience
that was missing
that was in question.
Faced with the difficulties of earning a
living as a fine artist
in a nonexistent marYohannes Tesfaye | Title, size and date unknown
ket, many talented
and promising artists
either gave up the
profession or never graduated from art school. As a consequence, the number of formally
trained artists and the quality and the quantity of contemporary Ethiopian art declined dramatically. In todays Ethiopia, there are fewer than 3000 formally trained artists in a population of 70 million.
To this day, some Ethiopian artists refuse to see their art as a commercial venture. On March
10, 2004, on the occasion of the Pioneers Forum at the Stanford Ethiopian Student Union,
Afewerk Tekle, the quintessential modern Ethiopian artist, shared his view of Picasso with
the Stanford Daily:

When I met Pablo Picasso and his wife, he was totally different from what I expected. He was a very humorous man, and when he looked at my work, he said that my
drawings were stunning work, but I needed to work harder on my oil paintings. But
then these Texan patrons of his work came for lunch, and he completely ignored me.
He took a piece of bread and traced it on the tablecloth, and then he traced his hand.
The Texan said, I would like to acquire that. If anyone had said that to me, I would
have been offended, but Picasso told his wife to take the tablecloth and prepare it. I
was absolutely spellbound to see the reaction of [the Picassos]. In a way, I wish that
I had never met him, because he became just a simple merchant in my eyes.
Whether or not Afewerks account is true is immaterial. But his remark about the mercenary
attitude of the most admired artist in the world is pertinent. Afewerks view of marketing
and promoting his work is quite different from and a bit more complex than those of other
Ethiopian artists. His statement doesnt reflect upon his business acumen. In fact, he is commercially and artistically successful artist. Rather, it reflects the belief of the majority of his
and the subsequent generation of Ethiopian artists and the Ethiopian public have regarding art

and its marketing. The point here is not to show that one artists approach to the art market is good or bad, or to argue that art is simply a commodity. The purpose is to question whether the younger
generation of Ethiopian artists should be seen, to use Afewerks
phrase as just a simple merchant if they enter the market in order
to support themselves?
The exit generation new generation artists of the 2000s have or
at least they show a different perspective and imagination, as well
as values that are at odds with the nations conservative artistic
and cultural matrix and tradition. Although they have not formally
been taught marketing skills, they are aggressive in marketing their
work. These artists know that if they are not aggressive in getting
out their work in the marketplace at any cost, by whatever means,
their art will become nonessential. Interestingly enough, the most
artistically and commercially successful artists of the new generation artists are those who are openly businesslike with their own
dealers and agents. Many of the artists have yet to learn this lesson. Fortunately, the modern art world system, and the art market
in Addis Ababa has taken off in an unprecedented fashion, supporting these artists and satisfying the aesthetic desire of the national
public. If the opposite was to happen, there could certainly have
been a marked separation of these artists from the public. As the
countrys current history has shown, inspired artists will at best
produce artwork intended for export and international art fairs,
creating an artistic void at home. At worst, they would have been
alienated and disgusted with the situation and go into psychological, spiritual and probably literal exile.
When sudden and unprecedented value and respect are given to
contemporary Ethiopian art, it is accompanied by an unavoidable
marketing dilemma. While the artist creates his work without any
Ezra Wube | Watching
idea of how much it is going to be sold or even if it will be sold, in
the end he will be tempted to sell his work to the highest bidder.
The moral and cultural dilemma is when the nations finest and gifted artist creates work with
the intent of or thought of the outside market and not of the nations artistic need.
Artists of the 1950s and 1960s were self-contained, and probably thought they could right the
countrys wrongs. Those of the 1980s were less pretentious, conscious artists who were for
the most part ignored by the establishment and the public. Through their numerous art works,
they have demonstrated their creative motivation and interests and were certainly able to
create art which uniquely represented 20th century Ethiopia. If the cultural setting of these
artists is finished, there is no question that their passionate artistic engagement, the national
pursuit of aesthetic unity, was conscientiously achieved. The popular artists, applied and commercial artists, the new generation artists in particular are the practitioners and beneficiaries

Oil on canvas 18 X 18, 2006

of their achievements. What was to flourish in the 1990s in Addis Ababa was pioneered in
the 1960s and 1980s. The art marketing dilemma of the 2000s has created and refined not
only the artistic skill of the late 1960s and 1980s, but also the survival skills of the artists.
The survival passion of the new generation artists is creating an interesting and testing artistic and cultural environment. If any visionary or experimental works are not judged, discussed, critiqued by the society that pays for the training and if the artists are not accountable
for their action, art, will have a much different face and purpose in the society. In light of this
dilemma, even if 21st century visual art culture of Ethiopia endures, without the conscious
involvement of the artists and the public, the outcome will be a travesty.

19

The Amharic version of this poem is taken from Amha Asfaws website with his permission. The Blen Team thanks him for his contibution.
To read the compiled poems of Gebre Kristos Desta, collected by Amare Mamo, Fekade Azeze and Brook Abdu, please visit www.missouri.edu/~asawa.

Out of This World

Perfunctory jokes do not become me;
I would casually die in the bowels of one-hundredths of a second;
Sleep like corpses eternally do.
Pave me a path so vast that I may be
That I may travel within horizons
Past universes and suns
Ricochet back and forth between infinites
Faster than the speed of light itself
Soon a Sun-to-be; illuminating luminary clear
Like the frothing lava and scalding ash
I would be the fiery floods
The million flames that set Hell ablaze
Pave me a path so vast that I may be
That I may see amidst the darkness
The charcoaled, sooty blackness
Where time stands still embraced in eternal hollow caves
At that infinite vacuum
Let me hover, watching.
For me, stars are but mere pebbles toys
And I, a crumb from the earth, writing Her ploys
On the dark manuscripts of the skies
I wander through galaxies
Vandalizing the high heavens,
Blasting open all shut gates
Until the non-existent comes to life
Until silence is rudely awakened
And in one large stride,
Leap from the earth to the moon
Then to the stars; from one world to another
Travelling
Creating
My humble abode on the sun.
And Ill cast my shadow on the sun.
The endless flames of Hell may scorch me
And the fiery depths may swallow me
Pave me a path so vast that I may be.
Translated by Robel Kassa

21

Addis Art Gallery

Salem Berhanu

Saturday, August 6th, 2005, saw the opening of the very first art gallery,
outside of Ethiopia, dedicated to the works of Ethiopian artists. Appropriately titled ENEHO, the work of the renowned Lulseged Retta became
the first to be exhibited at this historic event. Addis Art Gallery, located
not too far from LAs Little Ethiopia, opened its doors to over two hundred
guests who answered the call to celebrate and to be reintroduced to the
joy of sight. Since then the gallery has been exhibiting works that serve
as a testament to the skill and relevance of Ethiopian artists.

nothing. He would either go into establishing a business based on contemporary Ethiopian art full-time or walk away from it altogether. Deciding on the former, Mesai spent close to six months looking for a place to
set up his gallery. In the end he chose the building on the corner of Sierra
Bonita Venue and West Pico Boulevard. Mesai fervently told me that all
his accomplishments would not have been possible without the incredible
support of his family and friends, specifically his seven sisters who happen to be part of the reason he considers himself extremely lucky. He also
credits knowledgeable friends and acquaintances for helping him meet

Intrigued as I am by the conception of ideas, my first question to owner

Mesai Haileluel was if he distinctly remembered the first time he thought
of opening up a gallery. Mesais first response was I never started out
with the intention of owning a gallery. However, I do consider myself extremely lucky. He then re-traced the steps that set him on this course.

the initial challenge of finding sound financial advice.

Born and raised in Ethiopia, Mesai moved to the United States in the early
summer of 1974. After completing his higher education in Oklahoma, he
went on to live in Texas and finally settled down in Los Angeles, California. Mesais first association with Ethiopian contemporary art being that
of an aficionado, he started collecting art works long before the inception
of Addis Art Gallery. The five years that followed 1996 provided him with
the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia and to be introduced to many artists
and their work. Some of the artists he met during his visits were Lulseged
Retta, Shiferaw Girma, Tadesse Mesfin, Merid Tafesse and the five members of the Habesha group. In 2001, one of these artists, Lulseged Retta,
came to Washington, DC to exhibit his work. One of the venues at which
the artist was trying to organize a show was WorldSpace an international satellite radio company. Mesai got wind of this through his sister, Firehewot, who happened to be in charge of handling such events
for WorldSpace. Excited, Mesai got in touch with Lulseged and agreed
to help him organize the art show. On July 2001, the show successfully
opened, becoming the first of several art exhibitions Mesai would have a
hand in organizing.
After nearly five years of devoting his extra time to organizing art shows
for Ethiopian artists, Mesai reached what he recognized to be the turning point. He realized he would have to decide whether it would be all or
Mesai Haileluel | Addis Art Gallery Los Angeles, CA.

One of the guiding principles of Addis Art Gallery is that the works of
Ethiopian artists, being part of the larger Ethiopian cultural heritage, need
to be primarily collected and appreciated by Ethiopians. For this reason,
the commitment and focus of the gallery lies on the diverse work of Ethiopian artists living in and out of Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the gallery also
accommodates non-Ethiopian artists by renting out space as it becomes
available. Furthermore, even though the primary guests and customers of
the gallery are Ethiopians, 30% -50% of the average turnout at the gallery
events are non-Ethiopian, art lovers.
To his surprise, Mesai started realizing that his undertaking, being one
that required collaborative efforts, was having the unexpected impact of
bringing the Ethiopian community together. Beyond raising awareness
and appreciation of Ethiopian art, the exhibitions at Addis Art Gallery
were fast becoming community building activities. Realizing the significance of this, Mesai intends to further open up the gallery space for book
readings, film screenings and basically any artistic events which advance
creativity.
My conversations with Mesai, made me aware of his keen understanding
of the plight of Ethiopian artists that are trying to make a living from their
art. The lack of galleries, the inexperience of artists when it comes to the
art business and the limited art appreciation within the Ethiopian community are all factors that contribute to the challenges faced by the Ethiopian
artist. Add to this the language and cultural barrier and in some cases the
art audiences unfamiliarity with the subject matter and you have a frus-

23

trated Ethiopian artist living in the Diaspora. In response to these challenges, certain trends
are developing among artists living in Ethiopia, some more commendable than others. Mesai
believes one of the biggest developments in the Ethiopian art scene is the creation of a type of
artists cooperatives. This developed naturally where two or three artist friends would team up
to rent modest villas and set up art studios in order to reduce costs. On the other hand, though
done for the sake of survival, Mesai is against the trend to copy from artists who sell well since
this has the adverse effect of stifling creativity.
As far as the future is concerned, Mesai would like to partner with galleries in Addis Ababa
and even dreams of opening one there. He identifies Zoma Contemporary Art Center, Asni
Gallery of Contemporary Ethiopian Art and Alliance Ethio-Francais as taking the forefront in
advancing the works of Ethiopian artists. Here in the United States, Mesai is happy to see the
East Coast following suit by opening up Artful Gallery owned by his friend Dilip Sheth. He is
especially encouraged by this since he sees that the artists living outside Ethiopia are dealt a
much harder card than those living within the country. His impassioned response when I asked
him about the need for other galleries like his in the United States was In all the major cities,
we need one!

For more information on the gallery please visit www.addis-art.com

Yonas, Wosene Kosrof, Mekbib Gebretsadik, Meseret Desta, Esseye Medhin and Yohannes Tesfaye (Addis Art Gallery: July 2006)

Professor Richard Pankhurst with his wife and Dr. Ephraim Issac at the opening of Contemporary Works of Art by Ethiopian Artists in Addis Art Gallery (July 2006)

Artist Biographies & Plates

Abebe Zelelew
Beshowamyelesh Gedamu
Dilip Sheth
Elsa Gebreyesus
Endalkachew Girma
Esayas Kebede
Ezra Wube
Martha Mangestu
Mathewos Legesse
Mekbib Gebertsadik
Meseret G Desta
Nebyou Tesfaye
Solomon Asfaw
Teferi Gizachew
Yisehak Selassie
Yohanis Mibrathu
Yohannes Tesfaye

Dilip Sheth
Born and raised in Ethiopia, Dilip Sheth immigrated to America in 1980.
Even though he managed business most of his adult life, his greatest moment was when he chose to work with the artistic eye he developed since
childhood. Dilip Sheths paintings reflect the two divergent cultures in
which he has lived. His early exposure to African art is apparent through his
distinct style, warmth, and balanced tones on his striking palette. Western
cultures emphasis on the individual is also visible in his work, delineated
by the heavy outlines that identify his paintings. His figures are treated
with an artists reverence for beauty but with imagination as well, taking
on slightly surreal approach to see everyday settings. Faces and elements
become familiar, often reappearing in later compositions. Dilip currently
resides in Takoma Park, Maryland.
Elsa Gebreyesus

Mathewos Legesse | The Gate Oil and Acrylic on canvas 31 X 31 2006

Elsa Gebreyesus lived in Ethiopia, Kenya, and United States. She received
her BA from Brock University in Ontario, Canada. After 1993, she lived
in Eritrea for five years, working as a Project Officer with an indigenous
womens organization. After leaving Eritrea, she came to the United States,
where she has been pursuing her lifelong passion for art. She also volunteers and works with organizations involved with human rights issues
especially in Africa. She continues to learn from artists she admires and
has been greatly influenced by modernist painters from both Africa and the
West.

Abebe Zelelew
Abebe Zelelew graduated from the School of Fine Arts of Addis Ababa in
1985. He has since held solo and group exhibitions in China, Djibouti, Ethiopia and France. In 1996, some of his works were selected to represent
Ethiopian art in the Aethiopia exhibit that traveled across Europe.
Beshowamyelesh Gedamu
Beshowamyelesh Gedamu, better known as Beshou, was born and raised
in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire. She also lived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for four
years before coming to the United States, where she graduated with a BA
from Bridgewater College, Virginia. It wasnt until late in her college years
that she developed a keen sense for the arts, specializing in photography.
Having previously lived in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area, she was
influenced by friends and local artists to pursue her passion for photography. In addition, her exposure to various cultures and languages gave her
a unique and multifaceted perspective on life, which she captures in her
remarkable pictures. Whether the story is told in a classic, timeless black
and white, or a more colorful and contemporary way, I just want to be able
to transcend the lens and hope that the moment, the story, is captured in
a frame.

Endalkachew Girma
Endalkachew Girma was born in Addis Ababa Ethiopian in 1973. He started
drawing at an early age. In 1996, he received a bachelors degree from the
Addis Ababa University Fine Arts and Design. He worked in Ethiopian Airlines and exhibited in Ethiopia and abroad. He moved to the United States
in 2004, where he exhibited his art at the Farmount Gallery, Dules Gallery,
and Max Art Gallery.
Esayas Kebede
Native Ethiopian Esayas Kebede Siweya was born Addis Ababa in 1975.
He began drawing at a young age, professing an early interest in the arts.
Esayas joined Addis Ababa Universitys School of Fine Art and Design in
1998. After four years of intensive training, he graduated with a BA degree
in the field of mural art. Esayas has displayed his work in many prestigious
galleries in his home country, such as Addis Ababa University in 2001, the
German Culture Institute and Alliance Ethio-Franciase in 2002 and the Addis Ababa Hilton Hotel in 2003. Art, for me, is breathing. Its necessary
for survival, but also refreshing for the mind and spirit. Besides this, art is
also an expression of beauty and the self,

Teferi Gizachew | Title, size and date unknown

Yisehak Sellassie | Labor of Love Acrylic on canvas 24 X 30 1998

Endalkachew Girma | Title, size and date unknown

27

them that I find exaggerated beauty. She has presented her works
in solo, group and permanent exhibitions in different galleries and
cultural institute. Marta resides in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and she is
full time studio artist.
Mathewos Legesse

Martha Mangestu | Adey Abeba Mixed media, 60 X 60 2005

Ezra Wube
Ezra Wube was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He
came to the United States at the age of 18. Ezras artworks
are inspired by Ethiopian folk tales spiritual commentaries on social and political life and the diverse and ancient
Ethiopian civilizations. The folk tales has symbolic universal
messages and Ezra applies their lessons to his daily life in
the West. After graduating from the Massachusetts College of Art, Ezra received the Dondis Travel fellowship to
travel throughout Ethiopia and collect folk tales. Within four
months, he gathered over 100 stories. Currently, Ezra works
on translating these stories into visual art to introduce them
to the Western world.
Martha Mangestu
Martha Mangestu was born on 14 October, 1979, in Addis
Ababa. She received Mural Art bachelors degree from Addis Ababa University School of Fine Art and Design. She
realized her passion for art at the age of six and started to
spend her time with a paper and pencil trying to capture
her surroundings. Her works focus on the beauty of women,
design, traditional paintings, and hair styles from Ethiopia.
She explained I choose to paint women because it is in

Mathewos was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He graduated from

Addis Ababa Universitys School of
Fine Arts and Design. He has participated in different solo, group and
permanent exhibitions in Ethiopia,
Germany, US, and Sweden, which
enabled him to visit the works of
famous artists in museums and galleries. He participated in a live art
program, making body painting on
adugna dancers for a circus. He
has begun creating paintings expressing his ideas and feelings about the concept of a LIFELINE, or the path that each individual follows and the goals
that we try to achieve along the way. He is interested in
helping and working with children. He is currently attending
an artist residency program in the United States.

Meseret G. Desta
Meseret G. Desta was born in Ethiopia. She received a BA
degree from the Addis Ababa University School of Fine Arts
and Design, where she was an honors student for all four
years. Although her love for art started early in life, Meseret
began pursuing her passion for art in the past thirteen years.
She enhanced her art education a with computer technology degree. She has exhibited her work in museums, galleries and cultural centers throughout Ethiopia, Europe and
the United States. She recently exhibited her art in the Addis Art Gallery and Sewall-Belmont House and Museum.
Meseret currently lives with her artist husband, Mekbib
Gebertsadik.
Nebyou Tesfaye
Nebyou Tesfaye was born in 1978 in Addis Ababa. After
completing high school, he joined Addis Ababa Universitys
School of Art and Design, where he obtained his degree in
2001. Nebyou bolstered his credentials by attending Moscow Surikov Art Institute. His composite resume includes
exhibitions in many countries, including Ethiopia, Germany,
the Netherlands and the United States. Nebyou currently resides in the United States, where he continues to produce
extraordinary artwork.

Mekbib Gebertsadik
Mekbib Gebertsadik is an artist who specializes in Africanism, an art form that draws from African tradition. He started
painting at an early age and spent many years learning art.
In 1994, Mekbib received a BA degree from Addis Ababa
Universitys School of Fine Arts and Design. He had many
solo and group exhibitions in Ethiopia and other countries.
He was a full time studio artist from 1994 up to 2001. He
then received a Mekbibs work has been exhibited in museums, galleries and cultural centers throughout Ethiopia, Europe and USA Venues recently exhibiting his work include
the Addis Art Gallery, Sewall-Belmont House and Museum,
and Marlboro Gallery. He received the Skunder Boghossian
Painting Award and 2000 Reasons to Love the Earth prize.
He lives with his artist wife, Meseret G. Desta, in Virginia.

Beshou Gedamu | Medallia | Black and white photograph

Solomon Asfaw
Born in Ethiopia in 1977, Solomon Asfaw resided Addis Ababa until 2005. He studied at the Addis Ababa University
School of Fine Arts and Design. Solomon built a reputation as a talented artist in the art world of Ethiopia. Asfaw
came to the United States to pursue his dream in becoming a globally recognized artist. Inspired and motivated by
great Ethiopian artists such as Skunder Bogosian, Gebrekrustos Desta, Wossone Kosrof, Tadesse Mesfin and the
likes, Solomon developed his talent in using colors and designs to produce images that have creative composition.
Scenes and figures from the eastern regions, the urban settings, and symbolic icons and writings from Ethiopia
heavily influence his artwork. As Tsion Asmamaw, an art collector and manager states Asfaws humbleness and
hard work allows him to give his audience the best of this soul and this will lead him to a great place.
Teferi Gizachew
Teferi was born in Addis Ababa 1974. He worked as gold and silver smith for two years and half and attended
evening art classes to receive his Mural Painting degree from the Addis Ababa University School of Fine Art and
Design. Teferi gave private art lessons in his own studio. He exhibited his works in different place in Ethiopia and
abroad. He participated in art workshops in Addis Ababa and Cape Town, South Africa. Currently, he is studying
Interior Design in San Diego, California.
Yisehak Selassie
Yisehak was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He started drawing at the age of seven. His education and work remains centered on his faith and art. Yisehaq was first inspired by his grandmother, Princess Welete-Israel Seyuom.
As a devout Christian without any Western education, she produced and donated spiritual paintings to churches.
Yisehak obtained his Bachelors of Art degree from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1988, majoring in Illustration. Because of the traumatic experience of being uprooted from his native land and forced separation from his
parents by the 1974 Revolution, Yisehaks work reflects harsh human conditions. He currently resides in California.
He works in two and three dimensional designs with different mediums. He accepts work on commission.

Esayas Kebede | Expression 8 X 6 | Oil on canvas | 2006

Yohanis Mibrathu
Yohanis is a self-taught artist whose paintings reflect the influence of his origins and the places he has known.
Originally from Ethiopia, he has lived in Djibouti, France, and the USA, and has held exhibitions in Texas, New York,
California and France. His medium of choice is acrylics with occasional forays into watercolor and inks.
Yohannes Tesfaye
The young and talented abstract expressionist, Yohannes Tesfaye, received his advanced diploma from the Addis
Ababa University School of Fine Arts in 2001. After graduating, Yohannes assisted in the restoration to a historical
mural in Addis Ababas Trinity Cathedral. Yohannes then went on to pursue further education in Russia. Yohannes
pieces have been exhibited in Germany, the Netherlands, and Ethiopia as well as being displayed in the United
States. The passionate artist specializes in abstract expressionism, believing it to be a spontaneous assertion of
the individual. Yohannes Tesfayes energized mixed media works and techniques are presented in acrylic, oil on
canvas, wood, and fiberglass.

Elsa Gebreyesus | The Texture of Sound III Acrylic on paper 40 X 30 2006

29

Dilip Sheth | Landscape Acrylic on canvas 19X 24

Yohanis Mibrathu | The City Acrylic on canvas 14 X 11 2006

Meseret Desta | god Mixed media, 40 X 30 2006

Mekbib Gebretsadik | Yemariam Menged Acrylic on canvas. 30 X 24 2006

31

Abebe Zelelew | Title, size and date unknown

Nebyou Tesfaye | Untitled Oil on canvas 36X26 2005

Solomon Asfaw | Jegol Mender (Harrar) Oil on canvas 40 X 30 2005

The Arranger
Sayem Osman

Ethiopian music is finally basking in an unprecedented degree of international appreciation,

and yet its lyricists, composers and music arrangers have largely been left in the dark. Only
now, with the growing popularity of the Ethiopiques series is this trend finally beginning to
change. Ethiopiques series producer Francis Falceto has included meticulous liner notes accompanying each volume, and it is he who deserves credit for identifying the giants of Ethiopian music who would have otherwise remained both faceless and nameless.
The thing that makes the Ethiopian music of the Golden Era different than the music of today
is the richness of the instrumentation and the importance of the arranger. Most of the arrangements that were done in this era are, in my view, more than first-rate; they are timeless.
The arrangers were everything most musicians can
only dream of being: lyricist, music writer, arranger,
vocalist, accomplished pianist and finally bandleader.
Unless you were a true lover of Ethiopian music or were
into the music scene from the mid 1960s and into the
1970s (G.C.), you probably have never heard the name
Girma Beyene. To most, however, if any name comes
to mind associated with the word arranger at all, it
is probably that of Mulatu Astatqe. Yet, according to
Francis Falceto, in the heyday of vinyl records, Girma
Beyene is credited to having arranged close to 65 titles,
compared to Mulatus 40.
Born in Addis Ababa, Girma Beyene completed his
primary education at the Nativity Catholic Cathedral
School. He started his career as a musician when he
received rave reviews for his performance with Girma
Bogale on acoustic guitar at the Haile Selassie I Theatre. He was in high school at the time and the critical
acclaim he received led him to practice with the Haile
Girma Beyene and Mulatu Astatqe (1969)
Selassie I Theatre Orchestra during his school breaks.
In 1961, Girma Beyene and Bahta Gebrehiwot (known
for his song Anchim Endelela) were picked to join the Ras Band at the Ras Hotel from a pool
of about 70 musicians.
The first Ras Band was formed in 1961. It was led by Tefera Mekonnen (piano, music writer
and arranger), Getachew Welde-Michael and later Wodajeneh Felfelu (saxophone), Zewdu
Desta and later Assefa Bayisa (trumpet), Tilahun Yimer (bass), Bahru Tedla (drums), Bahta
Gebrehiwot (Amharic and Tigrigna vocals), Girma Beyene (English vocals) and Gebreab Teferi
(MC and lyricist). Most of the members of the first Ras Band came from the Haile Selassie I
Theatre Orchestra; Wodajeneh Felfelu, Assefa Bayisa, Tefera Mekonnen, Tilahun Yimer and
Bahru Tedla. The Orchestra was then led by the famous Armenian Nerses Nalbandian (19151977), the grandfather of all arrangers of modern Ethiopian music, and perhaps the first to
marry traditional melodies with modern, big band brass instruments, as well as the piano,
upright bass, Western drums, and guitar. Until 1955, Tefera Mekonnen, Tilahun Yimer and
Bahru Tedla were also in the Imperial Bodyguard Orchestra Jazz Symphony under Austrian

Franz Zelwecher (1911-1998). As members of the Jazz Symphony, Tefera played the upright
bass while Tilahun and Bahru played, respectively, percussion and the drums. Today, Bahru
Tedla, Bahta Gebre Hiwot and Girma Beyene remain the only survivors.
When in 1965, the first Ras Hotel Band renamed themselves to the Ghion Band and moved
to the Ghion Hotel, the self taught Girma Beyene, who had never had formal training in playing music instruments or arranging music, remained and formed the second Ras Band. The
band consisted of Girma Beyene on piano and English vocals, Tesfamariam Kidane on the
saxophone, Hailu Zehon Kebede on bass, Tesfaye Hodo Mekonnen on drums, Menelik
Wossenachew and Seyfu Yohannes as vocalists. While with the second Ras Band, Girma
Beyene wrote and arranged Menelik Wossenachews Wub Nat, Seyfu Yohannes Qonjiteye,
and Ewedesh Nebere.
Following his departure from the Ras Band in the late
1960s, Girma Beyene, along with Girma Zemariam,
formed The Girmas Band. In the mid 1960s, he wrote
such gems as Qurtun Negerign (Tewedjegn Endew),
Tirulign Tolo (Fitsum, Fitsum), Meslogn Neber, Neyna
Entchawet, Rocket Besera and Tsigereda. Girma used
the tune to Qurtun Negerign to do an ad for Gillette. The
ad was so famous that it is still remembered today by
the generation of the 60s and 70s. In 2003, Shewandagne Hailu, did a cover of Tsigereda. In a blatant act
of hopefully unintentional misrepresentation, in the U.S.
release of Shewandagnes album Sik Alegn, the producer credits Teddy Afro Kassahun as the lyricist and
music writer for Tsigereda. Shewandagne Hailu in an
undated interview for Addis Live Radio said that he had
asked and garnered Girma Beyenes permission before
he released his version.
In 1969, Girma Beyene recorded four tracks for Amha
Records (named after the owner Amha Eshete, who also
owned Harambe Music Store).
Set Alamenem, with lyrics and music by Girma Beyene, and arranged by Mulatu Astatqe, in
my view is a masterpiece; its been reported that Girma actually went through the heartache
the lyrics so movingly describe, and perhaps this accounts for both its beauty and its transcendental misery. The music and Girmas vocals on the song are described in this manner by
Joe Tangari on Pitchfork Media:

This is the sound of smoke wafting through the air in some Addis Ababa nightspot
you can almost hear the drinks clinking in the background. The organ could have
fit on Pink Floyds A Saucerful of Secrets, but the songs dark, luxuriant sprawl is different from a traditional understanding of psychedelia-- its altered states via ancient
Coptic churches carved in solid stone, with the bass strangely mixed almost as high
as the vocals. Beyenes whispered vocal delivery burns with quiet intensity and Mulatu Astatques vibes wrap them in dense, unhurried atmosphere.
33

These four tracks were remastered and released on Ethiopiques 8: Swinging Addis.
Dawit Messay Melesse did a cover of Set Alamenem in the early 90s. The
producers failure to give credit to Girma Beyene led the younger generation,
and on one occasion a seasoned musician, to think it was a Dawits original.
For the record, Dawit never claimed it was his song first. In fact, he has gone
as far as correcting fans of this oversight.
Enken Yelelebesh with lyrics by Getachew Degefu (1944-2000) a famous pianist
player who contributed to the Ethiopian Airlines Instrumentals, music by Girma
Beyene, arranged by Mulatu Astatqe. The band Lasta Sound did a cover of Enken Yelelebesh under the title Ethiopiawit Konjo. In their liner notes they give
Girma Beyene full credit and thank him for his contribution. Its said that this
song was written for W/zt Sophia Assfaw who had won the first Miss Ethiopia
pageant in 1964.
Ene Negn Bay Manesh with lyrics by Getachew Degef, music by Girma Beyene,
arranged by Mulatu Astatqe
Yebeqagnal (Lyrics by Bahta Gebre Hiwot, music by Bahta Gebre Hiwot, arranged by Girma Beyene) In an a undated interview for Addis Live Radio, Bahta
Gebre Hiwot humbly admits that Girma Beyene version is by far the better version.
Girma Beyenes departure from the Girmas Band led to the formation of The All Star Band
(1970-1972) and The Alem-Girma Band (1972-1974), respectively.
The All Star Band was formed in 1970. Its members were for the most part taken from two
popular bands, The second Ras Band, and The Soul Ekos Band. Members from the Ras Band
included Girma Beyene on keyboards, Tesfamariam Kidane on sax, Hailu "Zehon" Kebede on
bass, and Menelik Wossenachew on vocals. Feqade Amdemesqel on sax, Hailu "Zehon"
Kebede on bass, and Tamerat "Lotti" Kebede on drums previously belonged to Soul Ekos.
Tekle "Huket" Adhanom on guitar and Girma Tchibsa on percussion were the only new additions in terms of band experience. Alemayehu Eshete, on vocals, came from the Police
Orchestra. From 1970-1972, the All Star Band recorded a great deal with Alemayehu Eshete
and Menelik Wossenachew. Alemayehu's releases included Alteleyeshegnem, Teredechewalhu, Tchero Adari Negn, Addis Ababa Bete, Yeweyn Haregitu, Denyew Deneba, Temehert
Bete, and Nefas Endayegeban. Menelik's releases include Tizita, Chereqa, and Meqaberen
Liyew. With the exception of Tizita (Mulatu Astatqe), Girma Beyene did all the arrangements
for the above songs.
The Alem-Girma Band was formed by Alemayehu Eshete and Girma Beyene. Both shared the
taste of music and clothing fashion from the U.S. with influences including those of James
Brown, Elvis Presley, and Wilson Pickett, to name a few. It was during these years that Girma arranged Alemayehu Eshete's most famous songs, such as Addis Ababa Bete, Yewoine
Haregitu, Teredchewalehu, Man Yehon Teleq Sew, Eruq Yaleshew, Alteleyeshegnem, Shegitu
Mare, Hiwote Abate New, Qotchegn Messassate, Telantena Zare, Tchero Adari Negn, Eskegizew Berchi, and Ayalqem Tedenqo. In an undated interview Alemayehu Eshete gave to Addis
Live Radio he acknowledges that the band that he felt contributed the most to his success
was the Alem-Girma Band.

It is important to note that bands such as the All Star Band and the Alem-Girma Band were
session bands. They were sought after for their creativity in the studios as opposed to being
a live band.
The 1974 Revolution extinguished the Addis Swing era. Lead singers such as Alemayehu
Eshete, Tilahun Gesesse, Bizunesh Beqele and Hirut Beqele were forced to sing in the military
bands. Amha Eshete and other notable musicians fled Ethiopia to save their lives. It was during this time that Girma Beyene joined the Walias Band. Its members included Hailu Mergia
on organ, Moges Habte on sax, Yohannes Tekola on trumpet, Mahmoud Aman on guitar, and
Temare Harege on drums. It was here that Girma composed "Musiqawi Silt," a tune that
has adorned the Ethiopian instrumental music scene for years and has even been remade
by various U.S. bands including The Either Orchestra, The Daktaris, and Antibalas Afrobeat
Orchestra.
In 1981, while the Walias Band was on tour in the United States, some members including
Girma Beyene decided to remain in the U.S. It was soon after that Girma Beyene lost his
beloved wife. Though never confirmed, some say his grief led to his untimely departure from
the music scene altogether.
Abegaz Kebrework Shiota, relating a story to Kyle Stone, revealed that in the 1990's, while
living in Manhattan, he and a friend, the bass player Fasil Wuhib, were walking through
New York's Central Park. To their utter astonishment, they heard the unmistakable sounds
of familiar Ethiopian music. They came across a group of young African-American musicians,
"kids, really," playing in the park. When they finished, one said to the small crowd which had
gathered, That was a tune by the great Ethiopian composer Girma Beyene. It made us
realize, Abegaz added later, how we had overlooked this gem which was in our midst.
Today, Girma Beyene still lives in the Washington D.C. area. Though we have not heard from
this musical giant in more than twenty years, it is this authors hope and dream that Girma
Beyene will return to his first love in the near future
I would like to thank:
Nolawi Petros for granting me permission to reuse the original piece I did on Girma Beyene posted on www.bernos.org/blog
Kyle Stone who graciously related Abegazs story and for editing this piece for me. She is filming a historical documentary, The
Days All Start At Midnight: Swinging Addis And Its Music, on the golden age of Ethiopian music in which Girma played such
a key part, and is seeking funds to go to Addis and finish production there.
Francis Falceto for giving me permission to use the liner notes and photos from Ethiopiques 1, 4, 8 & 9 and his wonderful book
Abyssine Swing: a pictorial history of modern Ethiopian music.

Aknowledgments

The Blen Team would like to acknowledge and thank the following:
Contributors, editors, Addis Ababa Fine Art School, Goethe-Institute Gebre Kristos Desta Center, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Artful Gallery, Mesfin Gebreyesus,
Hiwot Mengesha, Mesai Hailelehul, Dr Samuel Assefa, Yohannes Gedamu, Leulseged Retta, Zerihun Yetemgeta , Muze Awel, Getahun Assefa, Achamyehel Debela,
Esseye Medhin, Amha Asfaw, and Jorg Weinerth, Salem Gugsa

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Artful Framing & Gallery

Solomon Asfaw | Market Women Oil on canvas 40 X 40 2006

Artful Gallery
1349 Maryland Ave NE, Washington DC 20002

Artful Framing
7050 Carroll Ave. Takoma Park, MD 20912
www.artfulframing.com 301.270.2427