ADDIS ABABA ART SCENE REVISITED

Ayele Assefa
Untitled
oil on canvas, 1996



Behailu Bezabeh
Bale Gariw
oil on canvas, 1997

Three decades ago, the art scene of Addis Ababa
was dominated by the three maestros: Afewerk
Tekle, Gebre Kristos Desta, and Skunder
Boghossian, recipient of the Haile Selassie I fine
arts award. Afewerk was important for his
contribution as the first to introduce contemporary
techniques to Ethiopian subject matter and content,
Gebre Kristos for being responsible for introducing
non-figurative art into Ethiopia and Skunder for
trying to give the linear-graphic ancient Ethiopian
art a new image. All three were European-
educated, which was typical at that time. Many
others did not achieve that status in imperial
Ethiopia, and even today are not honored and
recognized by their compatriots, as they should be.

At the beginning of this century, the Christian
Ethiopian painting (1) that had flourished for
hundreds of years in the churches and monasteries
of highland Abyssinia was fading and giving way,
leaving behind a unique form of art for a new kind
of artistic representation. The forerunners of this
new genre of painting were the many church-
trained dissident painters and other self-taught
artists, some of whom enjoyed commissions for
their works. These artists, along with those whose
art education was in Europe in the 1920s and '30s,
brought about a new tradition in the visual arts
culture in modern Ethiopia. (2) By the 1930s, the
members of this new class of painters were hired
by the government and recognized as
professionals. And by the 1960s, the number of
painters following the first graduating class of the
Addis Ababa Fine Arts School, and those coming
from abroad with a new kind of painting, (known as
international style) grew steadily. As a result, three
main traditions of painting developed.

The first is the realistic or naturalistic style that
describes both Ethiopian pathos and glamour. Like
the literature of the time, the subject matter of these
paintings was based on a new reality--Nationalism.
Second is the myth of Abstractionism,
Expressionism and Surrealism, the inquest of
spirituality in the style of the Western avant- garde
movement, which, in most instances, turns out to
be an assertion of Ethiopian/African identity through
the visual arts. The last is represented by an
impressionist, expressionist and social realist style
intended to be sentimental and political in nature
with its depictions of the cluttered, shabby streets of


Getachew Yossef
Black Sun
oil on canvas, 1990



Tesfaye W Selassie
Coffee Ceremony
oil on canvas, 1997

the cities, urban scenes and the downtrodden
masses. These three main artistic traditions existed
side by side until 1974 with the overthrow of the
emperor.

In 1977, when the country mobilized its
professionals for a cause, the newly organized
Ethiopian Artist's Association (3) show opens (4) at
the Addis Ababa City Hall Gallery as a testament to
its solidarity with the "Ethiopia Tikdem" motto of the
Derg. Out of nationalistic feelings and hope for a
better future, even such figures as Maitre artists
Afewerk Tekle and Gebre Kristos Desta submitted
their works to the show. With few exceptions, all
artists were involved in one way or the other in the
dubious future of the socialist revolution and were
therefore producing an Ethiopian style of socialist
realism in painting and sculpture. This kind of
artistic practice dominated in the late 1970s and
1980s. The very few who adhered to the previous
artistic tradition were the odd men out. Either they
were not understood or were left to practice their
passion alone. Thanks to their political astuteness
and knowledge of how to survive, artists like Woku
Goshu , the late Tassew Chernet , Zerihun
Yetmgeta ,Teshome Bekele, and Tebebe Terfa
risked their lives in their quest for individual
expression. However, they were fortunate to be
able to show their works frequently to keep the
tradition of the late 'sixties and early 'seventies
alive. With the exception of lesser-known artists'
shows, which were taking place here and there in
Addis Ababa, supporters of socialist realism were
not interested in showing their works, but were
instead encouraged to conform by a system of
rewards (5) and privileges through commissions.
Many, like the respected artist Abdel Rahman M
Sherif (6) saw this sort of compensation as a
"fulfillment, genuine enough, of their professional
ideals."

Although explicitly political art had been created in
Ethiopia since the end of the Italian occupation, it
reached a peak during the Derg era. The military
government of was the first to try systematically
recruiting and training artists for propaganda and
other specifically political purposes. (7) The
comrade militants, who believed that art would help
advance their principles, advocated an artistic
language that would deny and overlook the
complexity of the country and the peoples'
collective psychological make-up. Later, the
Ministry of Culture became the mobilizing force.
With the help of the socialist-oriented Ethiopian


Geta Mekonne
Gallery Wise
mixed media on paper, 1995



Muze Awel
Seated Figure
wood, 1997
Artists Association, it tried in vain to instill socialist
realism in the artistic culture. The artistic freedom
and experimentation that flourished during the
imperial government was discouraged. The concept
of religious, spiritual or historical values and the
subjective psychology of the artist were totally
rejected. The result was a body of work that was
merely hot-headed and pompous. The only works
worth mentioning from this period are the murals in
Debre Ziet at Gegnoch Amba by Afewerk Tekle,
Besrat Bekele and Demissie Sheferaw, which are,
of course, too political for the artistic tradition of the
country but in accord with general aspirations of the
time. All said, any truly artistic approach did not
come directly from above in the form of
governmental instructions or policy, but from peer
pressure at the sides. After the formation of the
Workers' Part of Ethiopia in 1984 and the
establishment of the People's Democratic Republic
of Ethiopia in 1987 North Korean artists took over
the primary role of the Ethiopian Artists Association
at least tacitly. (8) They set about immediately to
embellish the image of Mengistu Hayle Maryam--
the party leader on all of their work.

Today, not even a decade later, these
propagandistic art works are considered as nothing
more than archeological or historical objects, far
from inspiring the masses as they were intended.
The artistic situation of the late 1970s and 1980s
has dissolved once and for all. However, since the
new generation of artists is affected and was even
a result of the tumult of the recent past, the mind-
set as to what to do and how to define what is done
still lingers. Nonetheless, the creative force of
freedom seems to have taken the upper hand and
transformed the artists for the better. Themes,
techniques and subject matter repeat themselves in
endless yet lively variation in an attempt to gain a
sort of approval and recognition. The urge and the
passion to match the efforts of the past, to catch up
with lost time (not so much vis-a-vis the
international art movement--but as painter
Taddesse Mesfin puts it vis-a-vis the time wasted
during their own "self-imposed slavery") is so
evident that most found it essential to regroup and
find comfort and reassurance within themselves.
Since 1993, the silence of the Ethiopian Artists
Association has forced many young artists to
defend their profession on their own. Artist/painter
groups are sprouting up in all forms like never
before.
These groups are not specifically formed to
enhance one type of art style, approach or artistic
philosophy. Instead, they are simply alliances of
artists who have something in common--social
problems and situations that in themselves do not
encourage or foster artistic activities. Without
sacrificing their individuality, as a group they hope
to be more visible in order to approach cultural
centers, or institutions for help and sponsorship of
exhibitions and exhibition spaces. As a group they
also hope to be taken seriously in their attempt to
teach the people about art. Among the many artist
groups formed in the last seven years, the most
visible are the FOWA, the Point Group and the
Dimension Group. Addis International which was
one of the first groups to be formed, organized a
show of the works of about 40 artists in 1991, but
has since curtailed its activities while newcomers
like the Double Blue group are becoming
increasingly active.

FOWA (Friendship Of Women Artists), with its
motto "We are more than one," informally named
36 Ethiopian women artists in the early '90s as
members, the first group of its kind in the country.
At present, it is left with only 12 members. In
September of 1997 it released a 40-page Amharic
and English language catalogue which contained a
kind of manifesto. The Royal Netherlands Embassy
in Ethiopia, Pact, Alliance Ethio-Francaise, the
British Council and Goethe-Institute and numerous
individuals helped finance the publication of the
catalogue. It includes color reproductions of all 12
members' works and their pictures, along with a
fascinating interview with each artist. Each one has
a sensible and contemporary outlook about art in
general and about the role of Ethiopian women
artists in particular. As indicated in the catalogue,
the purpose of the group is to encourage and
enhance the opportunities of underrepresented (9)
women artists of all ages. The group's objectives
are to promote Ethiopian women artists in any way
possible, nationally as well as internationally, and
elevate the artistic awareness of the Ethiopian
female.

Members of the FOWA group include: Embet
Awoke (b. 1955), exhibition expert at Addis Ababa
Fine Arts School; Embet Belete (b.1968), art
instructor at the Greek Community School; Fanaye
Tesfate (b.1968); Kelemua Hailu (b.1969); Ketsela
Mengistu (b.1969); Mahelet Abrham (b.1969);
Mihret Dawit (b.1969); Mahlet Worku (b.1957);
Naomi Tesfaye (b.1968); Selamawit Aboneh
(b.1968); and Senafkish Zeleke (b.1967), all
graduates of the Addis Ababa Fine Arts School, as
well as Sofia Asefa (b.1954), who studied at the
Surkov Academy in Moscow and is presently an
instructor at the Addis Ababa Fine Arts School. The
group had its first exhibition at the German Cultural
Center in Addis Ababa in March of 1998.

Embet Aweke, a mother and the most recognized
artist of the group, and whose late father was also
an artist, addressed the role of mother and artist (in
a conversation with Assfaw Damte in 1997), saying
that "each of the two roles is very difficult by itself.
Obviously, playing both roles simultaneously and
maintaining an appropriate balance between them
is doubly difficult. In order to succeed, one needs
patience and unwavering commitment. Otherwise,
either one or the other will be sacrificed.'' The
president of the FOWA group, Embet Belete, who
thinks that patrons of fine arts in Ethiopia are
mostly foreigners, says that an appreciation of
beauty and the visual arts among Ethiopians needs
to be encouraged early in the schools. Embet,
along with the rest of the group, hopes that the
catalogue, "will inspire other women artists and
women of all ages who are interested in the fine
arts." Women artists are in a much more precarious
situation than their male counterparts; however,
given the right situation, they can overcome their
disadvantages to be on equal footing with male
artists.

The Point group was formed in the early '90s by a
group of artists in their 30s. These artists are all
graduates of the Addis Ababa Fine Arts School
except Ayele Assefa (b.1958), whose education
was in the former Soviet Union. Point group started
with nine artists but currently numbers seven
members, including Addisu Worku (b.1964), art
instructor at the Indian National School; Gebreleu G
Mariam (b.1965), graphic artist in the ministry of
Health; Luel Sahele Mariam (b.1966), art instructor
at Addis Ababa Fine Arts school; Mesfin H Mariam
(b.1966) artist s with Mega Art Production; Samuel
Sharew (b.1966), the only artist in the group and
probably in the country who earns a living as a
painter, and Tesfaye (Tesfu) W Selassie (b.1966),
art instructor at Addis Ababa Fine Arts School. This
group gained wide recognition with its first show at
the Alliance Ethio- Franaise in 1992 as well as its
successful show in 1994 at the National Museum.
They seek to bring about a change in art activities
and situations. As Tesfay W Selassie states, "The
Point group's motives are not to foster an elitist
attitude, with the indifferent multitudes lost in
oblivion, but rather to impress and influence it
without any mystification whatsoever." By so doing
they hope to cultivate their audience and grow with
them. Beyond their love of popular culture and their
mingling with the contemporary life of the people,
they show an abiding interest in both the historical
and traditional iconography of Ethiopia and Africa.
According to Ayele Assefa, the group doesn't
adhere to any specific artistic style or philosophy,
nor does it discriminate against any artistic style. It
is open- minded and is interested in discussion and
analysis of any form of art, past or present.

The next group, called Dimension, features another
nine artists, in their 30s and 40s. All but three
received their art education in the former Soviet
Union. This group includes: Geta Mekonnen
(b.1965), a studio artist and commercial video
producer, who studied in Great Britain; Muze Awal
(b.1961) , instructor at Addis Ababa Fine Arts
School; Mulugeta Tafesse (b.1960), who studied in
Bulgaria and is presently working for his Ph.D. in
art history and aesthetics in Belgium and Spain;
Mezgebu Tessema (b.1960), instructor at Addis
Ababa Fine Arts School; Behailu Bezabih (b.1960),
Addis Ababa Fine Arts School graduate and
presently art instructor at the Bethel Makane Yesus
School, Addis Ababa; Taddesse Mesfin (b.1953),
instructor at Addis Ababa Fine Arts School; Eshetu
Tiruneh (b.1952), advisor, Ministry of Culture; and
Kidane Belaye ( b.1950), instructor at the Fine Arts
School.

According to its spokesperson Geta Mekonnen, the
Dimension group was formed to overcome an
artistic trend that has been going on in Ethiopia for
quite some time: an artistic style which is largely
interested in representing the traditional icon-like
Christian Ethiopian figures. All members of the
group believe that this kind of artistic fashion has
too long dominated the market, with little or no
regard for the standards of the art-loving public of
Addis Ababa and the efforts of contemporary
Ethiopian artists. According to Mezgebu Tessema,
the group was also formed to help "serious" artists
participate in group shows regardless of the
number of works they are able to produce. He
believes that, given the situation in the country, this
type of occasional group show may be the only way
for the public to see any of their works. Bekele
Mekonnen believes that because of their successes
in organizing these types of shows, their works
have been better exposed to the public with greater
attention and awareness. The Dimension group,
formed after the earlier groups got more
recognition, after it organized an exhibition of works
of the late artist/poet Gebre Kirstos Desta in 1996
at the Alliance Ethio-Franaise.

Outside of these groups, there are numerous
artists, veterans and novices, who are
experimenting and pursuing alone the most
challenging part of creation: giving a special and
diverse flavor to contemporary Ethiopian art. The
concept of their art reflecting their Ethiopian identity
so important to the early painters and critics is not
much of a concern to the new generation of
Ethiopian artists. Unlike their predecessors, they
don't seem to be worried about projecting their
identity in their art. Leuel, who never worried
whether his paintings reflected his Ethiopian
identity states: "My concern is how to achieve what
I wanted to do and whether I succeeded or not ...If
my work in the end looks European, American or
Arabian, so be it. I never questioned myself if I am
an Ethiopian or an African." Taddesse Mesfin said,
"I will be glad if it is recognized as Ethiopian, but if
there is anything Ethiopian in my work, it is a
natural outcome. I never intend on making my
works Ethiopian." Mezgebu states, "Whatever
technique or style we employ and follow in our art,
there is something in all of us that is Ethiopian that
can be deciphered in our work--it is up to the critic
or the historian to search for that particular
characteristic." Bekele Mekonnen said that "any
work of art done by an Ethiopian is by definition
Ethiopian; consequently, in the broadest definition,
anything done on Ethiopian soil that remains in
Ethiopia for a considerable period of time must be
considered Ethiopian." Geta Mekonnen addresses
this age-old artistic question by noting, " We are
only artists doing art works: painting, sculpture,
video art, etc. These problematic notions of identity
are as ridiculous as affirming that an Ethiopian can
only do art works like the Christian Ethiopian type
of painting and that Africans can only do masques
and figurines. We all hope that our works are true
representations of ourselves and not caricatures of
Ethiopian or African culture." Nevertheless, the
relation between Christian Ethiopian painting,
African traditional art and contemporary Ethiopian
art, a subject dear to Ethiopian artists of the late
'sixties, particularly to the home- grown "Native
Modernist" Zerihun Yetmgeta, (11) remains a topic
of much discussion among the young generation of
Ethiopian artists.

In late '60's and early '70's, most works by
graduates of the Addis Ababa Fine Arts School
reflected the social conditions of the country.
Whatever its style and technique, it was an art of
social commentary and social solution. At present,
with social conditions worsening, this kind of theme
is back again. The trauma, the crisis, the spiritual
illness and the painful reality of the country's past
and present are subjects of interest to many artists.
Bekele Mekonnen creates amazing assemblage
sculptures using non-traditional materials, to depict
pathetic and down-to-earth street personages. So
does Getachew Yossef with his series "Under the
Sun," as well as Tesfay W. Selassie and Behailu
Bezabih. While a significant number of artists,
including Geta Mekonnen and Addisu Worku are
involved with satirical comments on contemporary
myth and evils; renowned artists like Taddesse
Messfin and Eshetu Tiruneh have given up their
favorite theme of the downtrodden masses and the
huddled, ordinary people in favor of experimenting
with styles similar to the American abstract and
abstract expressionist painters of the '30's and
'40's.

Members of these groups, as well as those more
established individual artists, are more regularly
exhibiting their works, recreating the rigorous
artistic activities of Addis Ababa of the 1960s and
1970s. Even more so, the scene has been gaining
an international flavor with an exhibition of
expatriate artists and Ethiopian artists living abroad.
A number of new galleries devoted to contemporary
art, coupled with enthusiastic new collectors, are
heralding Addis as an important art center once
again. As far as the impact and validity of the
contemporary paintings and sculptures on the
society are concerned, it is hard to imagine any sort
of immediate change. Posterity will likely consider it
a significant cultural achievement of the age and
will marvel at the artists' audacity and commitment.

Given the fact that a strong cultural infrastructure
found in most developed countries is totally lacking
in Ethiopia, and is not likely to exist any time in the
future, bringing about a new tradition that is more a
result of local processes must be expected of our
artists. History has put on their shoulders the
burden and excitement of being their own dealer,
curator, historian and critic. Among their many
concerns, they need to consider reaching a wider
audience. Rather than the traditional fashion of
opening exhibitions at the customary places in a
conventional way, they need to think of alternative
ways of displaying their works. They have to look
for more effective ways of popularizing and
disseminating their works and try to move away
from traditional patronage, including the
government. Their achievements as artists become
more meaningful only when their works reach a
wider audience rather than a handful of the usual
patrons. One way of doing this is to create a
community-based art project that benefits that
community.

Notes:
1. The basic structure of Christian Ethiopian
painting and its Christian and decorative motifs
is presently applied by artists hired by the
Tourist Organization, as well as by commercial
artists who produce for the tourist and
commercial market. It is also an inspiration for
formally trained professional artists as a sort of
identification in creating a more complex
contemporary style.
2. See Taye Tadesse, "Short Biographies of Some
Ethiopian Artists" Addis Ababa: Kuraz
Publishing Agency, 1991.
3. The first Ethiopian artists' organization was
formed in 1960. The main idea of the artists'
club, as indicated in the brochure published on
the occasion of the formation of the club is to
develop national arts.
4. Ethiopian Artists Association's last exhibition
was in March of 1991 on the occasion of the
50th anniversary of Victory Day and the 11th
International conference of Ethiopian Studies.
The late Girma Kidane wrote the catalogue. The
last major group art show before the fall of the
imperial regime was with seven prominent
Ethiopian art instructors, held at the Haile
Sellasie I Theater in 1971. It closed the first
chapter of modern art in Ethiopia. Professor
Stanislaw Chojnacki wrote the catalogue.
5. Most young artists took this opportunity to get a
scholarship in socialist countries. Many ended
up in Western countries as refugees and did not
return home after they finished their studies.
Those who did return, played more of a
bureaucratic and theoretical role rather than an
artistic one in trying to implement socialist-
oriented art in Ethiopia.
6. Director of the Fine Arts School of Addis Ababa
(1974-1994). After 1984, he become the
president of the Ethiopian Artists Association
and was the first artist to attend Yekatit 66
Ideological School to study propaganda
techniques. He was also the first artist to
become a member of the party.
7. Out of 10 art school graduates, five were sent to
socialist countries for further their studies.
Budget allocation for Addis Ababa Fine Arts
School was also three times higher than before.


8. A well known sculptor, Tadesse Mamecha, was
sent to North Korea for a few months to furnish
technical aspects about the physiognomy of
Ethiopians for the Korean artists, who were to
create monuments in commemoration of the
Ethiopian struggle.
9. Of the more than 50 founding members of the
first Ethiopian Artists' Association in 1960,
Woizero Marta Nessibu was the only female.
10. In September 1997 Getachew Yossef, along
with another proficient and veteran sculpture,
Bekele Abebe, finished a commissioned work of
a more-than-life-size bronze statue of Hayelom,
presently placed in Mekele.
11. Zerihun Yetmgeta is one of the very few artists
who continued his activities during the Derg
regime. He studied and graduated from the
Addis Ababa Fine Arts School in 1968. Since his
school days, he has maintained his commitment
to his kind of expression, directly leading to the
"Ethiopian Modernists" movement of the late
'60s. His perseverance and unquestionable
success, both in his life and his profession as an
artist, make him an important influence among
the young generation of Ethiopian artists.
Esseye Medhin, 1998
This article was originally published in ETHIOPIAN BIR
Business & Industry Report. Vol. 4 No. 2 April-May-June
1998.