Aklilu Temesgen, Painter, Tells His Story

What drives me to the art world is my childhood desire to create something out of found objects -- collecting small things that I found in my surroundings and using them to create something that could help me play with it. My work today is a continuation of the creative seeds planted in my childhood.

I grew up in a town called Dessie in Ethiopia. My work tells my own story, my ideas, my dreams and wishes and I endeavor to show stories of my Ethiopian community as well. Art is not limited to copying nature or a depiction of the story or social events. To me, art is a place where ideas flow without the limitations of time and space, where the flow of ideas is a core element of creativity.

As a visual artist, I follow what comes to my mind and I let my ideas freely flow until it blossoms. What I create is the result of my past story and my future imagination.

In our Ethiopian society and in my own family they did now want me to become an artist. They wanted me instead to focus my studies on becoming an engineer or another similar field of work. However, I knew deep down I was meant to be an artist and I kept pushing myself in that direction.

When I was very young I joined my elementary school art club and found that I was started fascinated by the process of creating a piece of art. I later joined the art club founded by the Ministry of Culture called 'Pallet Amateur Artists Club'. The artist, Syum Ayalew, was my drawing teacher who helped us prepare ourselves to take the entrance exams to join the Fine Art School in Addis Ababa. Later, at Addis Ababa University, I studied art and life as well, since living in a dormitory was very different from family life.

When I graduated from the University in 2004 with distinction, several friends and I got together and opened local art studios and hosted art shows in Addis Ababa, which turned out to be quite successful. I became a founding member of the "Netsa Art Village'" which is a place to practice and create art freely. I helped organize local and international workshops and other artistic events for them. After a few years, I left Ethiopia and moved to Poland to work on my Master's Degree in African Studies and Cultural Media.

I have participated in group and solo art shows in many countries: Kenya, Sudan, Zambia,  Djibouti, Poland, France, Spain, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, and the USA.

Since I came to the United States, I have opened my studio in  Silver Spring, Maryland where I continue creating new work and teaching art to children. I have found that I particularly enjoy working with children who are living with disabilities.

This is Week 49 of Artists Tell Their Stories. Thank you for reading and sharing Akilu's story today. To connect with him and see more of his work, please click on the following links:

Solomon Asfaw, Painter, Tells His Story

My paintings are reflections of the stories, thoughts and ideas I want to express about myself, my culture, and the human condition in general. I believe sharing these concepts will help connect people with their own feelings and with the humanness we all share and in some small way, help bring the world community closer with one another. I live in the Washington, DC area so I have chosen paintings to share that co-mingle my DC life with my birth country.

Addis Ababa II, acrylic on canvas

I was born in the middle of the Mercato, which is the local marketplace in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The ambiance of Mercato has always been my inspiration. The hue of the dust and dirt littering the streets, the color of the rusty roofs and shanty houses, the actions of the beggars and drunkards, the shoe-shiners, and the street vendors, all hold a unique beauty for me, and to this day, those memories continue to influence my work.

Georgetown University in DC, acrylic on canvas

Church iconography also mesmerizes me. When I first saw them on the church walls, I was moved by their artistry. This experience stirred me to interpret Saint’s images on sheets of paper. Children in my neighborhood of Kolfe were attracted by these drawings, so I started developing those drawings into postcards. For Ethiopian New Year, the kids preferred my drawings over others, which created a need for mass production so they could buy them to give as special gifts.

The Great Blizzard in DC, acrylic on canvas

I later joined the Addis Ababa University School of Fine Arts and Design. While there, I learned to develop my sense of color and design and I began producing images with creative composition.

Daily News, acrylic on paper

Since 2001, when I graduated, I helped establish Saron Art Studio in Addis Ababa and I’ve continued to explore my perceptions of everyday life. I have exhibited my work throughout the United States, Africa, and Europe and I’m honored to have built a reputation as a talented artist in the art world of Ethiopia.

Thomas Circle in DC, acrylic on canvas
 

Blogger’s note: In Ethiopia, Solomon’s collections can be found in the Vatican Embassy in Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa University School of Fine Arts and Design, the Alliance Ethio-Francaise, the Arthur Rimbauld Museum in Harar, and the Alliance Francaise in Gjbouti and Sudan. In the United States, the National Language Museum in Maryland features his collections.

Addis Ababa I, acrylic on canvas

This is Week 42 of Artists Tell Their Stories. Thank you for reading and sharing Solomon’s story today.  To connect with him and see more of his work, please visit the following links:

Harar, acrylic on canvas

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