 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Zerihun Yetmgeta (born 1941) is an Ethiopian artist. His paintings and mixed media pieces combine elements of contemporary art with traditional forms of Ethiopia, particularly from the icons and scrolls of Ethiopian Orthodox art.
Yetmgeta artistic practice started at an early age. At fifteen he won first prize in a national art competition, known as the "All Ethiopian School" competition. After completing high school, he attended the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design in Addis Ababa (1963-1968). While attending the university, Yetmgeta shared a studio with Alexander Boghossian, known as Skunder Boghossian. Boghossian, along with Gebre Kristos Desta and Karl Heinz Hansen (his professors at the School of Fine Arts), have been cited as major influences in the artist’s development. [1] Yetmgeta has taught at the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design since 1978. [2]
In the aftermath of the 1974 Ethiopian Revolution, when the Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown, many artists went into exile. The socialist military rule of the Provisional Military Administrative Council (known as the Derg) that followed, established repressive practices toward the arts, mandating the use of social realism and censoring subject matter. Yetmgeta, however, chose to stay in Addis Ababa. Since the end of Derg rule, Yetmgeta has enjoyed international prominence and has exhibited widely. [3]
On 24 August 2019, the Ethiopian Cultural Garden, featuring Yetmgeta's original design in addition to a replication of his work "When the Sun Meets the Moon", was dedicated in Rockefeller Park in Cleveland, Ohio. It is the first cultural garden from the continent of Africa and it is believed to be the only monument to Ethiopia in the United States.
The sources of Yetmgeta’s various practices included imagery from Ethiopian Orthodox Coptic art and ancient rock art, see Ethiopian art. His works may include Amharic inscriptions and the visual allusion to prayer scrolls, icons, and altarpieces. He also creates work that relates to his connection to the African continent, pulling from imagery from ancient Egypt, West and Central African masks, and particularly traditional arts from Ghana. His celebration of his cultural roots can be found not only in his work, but also in his studio, which follows a floor plan of an Ethiopian church. [5]
Yetmgeta works in a variety of media, including printmaking, painting, and mixed media pieces. The constructed pieces based in wooden reliefs may also include elements of parchment, bamboo, wax, and gold.
1st Prize, All Ethiopian School, Addis Ababa, 1958
Represented Ethiopia in the 4th Havana Biennial in 1991, themed: The Challenge of Colonization
Prix de la Biennale, Dakar Biennale, or Dak'Art ’92
2nd prize at the Kenya Art Panorama, French Cultural Center, Nairobi, 1994
Biasio, Elisabeth. "The Hidden Reality. Three Contemporary Ethiopian Artists: Zerihun Yetmgeta, Girmay Hiwet, Worku Goshu." (1989).
---. "Magic Scrolls in Modern Ethiopian Painting." Africana Bulletin 52 (2004): 31-42.
---, and Zerihun Yetmgeta. "Ethiopian World Art." Ethiopia–Traditions of Creativity, University of Washington Press, Seattle (1999): 88-111.
Chojnaki, Stanislau. "A Survey of Modern Ethiopian Art." In Äthiopien. Stuttgart: Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, 1973, 84-94.
Martin Nagy, Rebecca. Continuity and Change: Three Generations of Ethiopian Artists. Gainesville, U of Florida 2007 74-75.
Silverman, Raymond A. “Zeribun Yetmgeta: Portfolios.” African Arts 30/1 (1997), 52-57
---et al, Ethiopia: Traditions of Creativity. East Lansing, Michigan State University, 1999
Sylla, A. "Yetmgeta, Zerihun, A Spiritual Art." CIMAISE 43, no. 240-41 (1996): 82-86.
Yetmgeta, Zerihun, and Abebe Zegeye. Zerihun Yetmgeta: The Magical Universe of Art. Unisa Press, 2008.
Addis Ababa is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. In the 2007 census, the city's population was estimated to be 2,739,551 inhabitants. Addis Ababa is a highly developed and important cultural, artistic, financial and administrative centre of Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa University (AAU) is a national university located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is the oldest university in Ethiopia. AAU has thirteen campuses. Twelve of these are situated in Addis Ababa, and one is located in Bishoftu, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) away. AAU has several associated research institutions including the Institute of Ethiopian Studies. The Ministry of Education admits qualified students to AAU based on their score on the Ethiopian University Entrance Examination (EUEE).
Afewerk Tekle was an Ethiopian artist, particularly known for his paintings on African and Christian themes as well as his stained glass.
Orchestra Ethiopia was an Ethiopian concert band formed in 1963 by the Egyptian-born American composer and ethnomusicologist Halim El-Dabh. The group, which was founded in Addis Ababa, comprised up to 30 traditional instrumentalists, vocalists, and dancers from many different Ethiopian regions and ethnic groups. It was the first ensemble of its type, as these diverse instruments and ethnic groups previously had never played together. For a time, due to El-Dabh's efforts, the Orchestra was in residence at the Creative Arts Centre of Haile Selassie I University.
Kebur Zabagna or Zebenya was the Ethiopian imperial guard. Also known as the First Division, this unit served the dual purposes of providing security for the Emperor of Ethiopia, and being an elite infantry division. It was not, however, part of the organizational structure of the Ethiopian regular army as it was part of the Zebagna, the Addis Ababa Guard. The Kebur Zabagna was based at Addis Ababa.
Adamu Tesfaw, also called Qes Adamu Tesfaw is an Ethiopian artist.
Aïda Muluneh is an Ethiopian photographer and contemporary artist based in Addis Ababa. She does commercial work as well as photojournalism in Addis Ababa and elsewhere.
Alexander "Skunder" Boghossian was an Ethiopian-Armenian painter and art teacher. He spent much of his life living and working in the United States. He was one of the first, and by far the most acclaimed, contemporary Black artists from the African continent to gain international attention.
Kebedech Tekleab is an Ethiopian painter, sculptor, and poet.
Agegnehu Engida was an Ethiopian modern artist. He blended abstraction, expressionism, and surrealism, but maintained a style that was "distinctively Ethiopian."
Michael Tsegaye is an Ethiopian artist and photographer. Much of his work presents a glimpse of life in contemporary Ethiopia, although an extended catalogue of his images come from his travels abroad.
Gebre Kristos Desta ( 1932–1981) was an Ethiopian artist and poet. He is credited with bringing modern art to Ethiopia Both his paintings and poems stirred controversy among his countryfolk. He died young, at 50, as a refugee living in the United States, but despite his short life he transformed Ethiopian art influenced many a young artist.
Abel Tilahun is an Ethiopian-born artist who works across traditional and emerging art forms. At the heart of his work is a concern for both the cutting edge and the long arc of history.
The Imperial Academy was the national academy of Ethiopia, first established by the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts in 1942. It was tasked with preserving the "traditional genius" of the country; among other things, the native Ethiopic script and the literary and scholarly tradition it enabled, as well as the "promotion of research in languages and fine arts".
Klaus Mertens is a German contemporary artist. He is currently residing in Berlin and Addis Ababa.
Salem Mekuria is an Ethiopian-born independent filmmaker, video artist and educator living in the United States.
Fasil Assefa Beyene is an Ethiopian painter known for his dominant theme the hustle and bustle of Merkato, and expressing Ethiopian pop art through his paintings.
Yadesa Bojia is a Seattle-based Ethiopian graphic designer and artist. Bojia has exhibited regionally since 2006. In 2010, he rose to international acclaim when his design was selected for the African Union's flag. Bojia has shown his work in exhibitions, completed commissioned works, and given public talks about the themes of his work, including human rights, minority rights, Africa, and justice. Bojia's style as a painter draws on African impressionism.
The Skunder Boghossian College of Performing and Visual Arts is the umbrella organization for Ethiopia's oldest secular schools for the arts, offering Bachelors and Masters programs in art, theater, and music.
Ale Felege Selam Heruy was an Ethiopian painter. He founded the Addis Ababa School of Art in 1957, renamed in his honor to Ale School of Fine Arts and Design.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
