Modernism In Ethiopia

In the history of human heritage findings Ethiopia is known as the origin of all humankind. For this reason, Ethiopia has a title of ‘foundation of humanity'. For example ‘Dinkenesh' (Lucy) is the 3.2milliion-year-old skeleton that was found in the northern part of Ethiopia. (Hassen and Debela, 1995:127)

Ethiopia is also a place of several mysterious findings of early civilizations, to mention that the pre -Axumite era (5th century BC to 1st century AD) and Axumite era (1st to 8th centuries AD) of architecture reliefs and pottery are a good evidence of how rich in wisdom the nation was in the pre-historical area. The rock paintings dated to the 2nd millennium BC justifies that the ancient kingdom was well prosperous in artistic observations

His painting is well known by gestural techniques of abstract expressionism. After turning to Ethiopia, he focused on Ethiopian modernism that is based on the local traditional style of paintings which has the origin of Ethiopian Orthodox Church paintings. His work has a range from portraits to landscape, topics of human destiny and sorrow, exile, isolation and the daily social and political concepts. For him, the poor and the sad history are the mixtures of abstract expressionist language expressed by his geometric depiction. His flower paintings are characterized by vivid of color and cheerful light. He also progressed towards more abstraction in exploring matters of shape light and color. (Hassen and Debela,

Skunder Boghossian, Untitled, oil and mixed media on canvas, 157x122.4cm.National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C

Zerihun Yetmgeta (1943 -) is a printmaker and Ethiopian abstract painter graduated from Alle School of Fine Arts and Design in 1968 and he has gotten the influence of the wood cutwork by Hansen –Bahia as well as Skunder Boghossian . He is probably the first strictly trained artist who effectively and actively integrated the ancient and the modern style of art. (Hassen and Debela, 1995:134)

Zerihun has a potential of creating a linkage between the ancient styles of art with the modern one effortlessly. This offered him the ability to establish his own artistic identity. He experiments with different kinds of mediums such as bamboo strip to create an impression of the identity of African culture.

Zerihun uses a visual interpretation of Ethiopian poetry tradition of "wax and gold" and also has a depiction of magic and scroll like an image, mixed with such symbols, is observed in ‘Fishing the Evil (1989) and ‘Diamond on Gold’ (1986).In the works he used mixed media, oil or pen and Ink on goat skin. (Hassen and Debela,