The New Flower; How Modern Art Developed in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa; the capital and largest city of Ethiopia, filled with rich culture, exquisite foods, sublime residents and ultimately a ubiquitous art history. Not only did art-making aid modernization in Ethiopia, but it also became a very revolutionary moment which allowed natives to expound on and celebrate their history while exemplifying the strength hidden behind their effervescent spirits. Addis Ababa has given birth to several magnificent creators but there are three in particular that have managed to remain a household name; Solomon Belachew, Alexander “Skunder” Boghossian and Wosene Kosrof. This essay will discuss how modern art developed in Ethiopia as well as the modern Ethiopian artists who blossomed in the process.
First, In the 1960’s, Addis Abba was a city filled with pure creativity and artistic flare. Accumulating notice both nationally and internationally, literary, visual and performance arts were in abundance. Several scholars and critics have often referred to this period of modernization as a “renaissance” era. This pivotal moment lead to a revolutionary outburst of flamboyant creations produced by artists who, in the process of creating, found themselves liberated by discoveries of their lineage and other influential artists. One moment in Ethiopian history that may have added to the eruption of modern art was the liberation of the country from Italian rule where native Ethiopians fought against the Italian army to preserve their culture, land, history and traditions. In 1941, Emperor Haile Selassie was released from exile and determined to make a difference in Ethiopia via art and education.
Next, Emperor Haile Selassie believed the most influential vehicle to utilize for modernization would be the education of art. Under the ministry of education and fine arts (which he lead for several years), Emperor Selassie positioned education and arts together as his way of playing a vital part in constructing cultural schools. Early in their careers, future painters were often confronted by Emperor Selassie. Selassie would attend exhibits and other artistic events to inspire young artists. He used this mechanism to boost their confidence, hoping the boost would lead the artists to a bright future as creators. During the struggle of liberating Ethiopia, there was an enormous challenge to expand the education facilities because several schools were closed and destroyed. There were also a lack of teachers, materials or suitable buildings that added to the difficulties. Therefore, Emperor Haile Selassie resorted to drastic measures to get the educational system started. In 1943, the first secondary school opened and the students were swiftly moved through primary school to prepare for their London matriculation exams. In 1946, the secondary school (General Wingate School) was opened due to the government. The same year, the Tafari Makonnen School was improved to offer additional secondary education.
Then, in 1944, in the midst of the development of the institutions, there was a desperate need for teachers. To bring attention to the request for professors, the establishment of a training school took place. Almost a decade after the Ethiopians were liberated, the University of Addis Ababa, a tertiary school, was founded by the state. In 1973, the enrollment in the state educational system grew immensely; from 20,000 to 820,436. The students who attended these institutions were presented with the best education. Each school was located in Addis Ababa and was a representation of what the country had to offer. It was also a representation of how far Ethiopia had come as a country who were once in the ruins due to the catastrophe the Italian army created. Due to the curriculum of elementary education, a significant amount of attention was given to art education; namely painting, sculpture and architecture.
Henceforth, in other areas of Africa, the leader known as Kwame Nkrumah utilized the arts to express anger against colonialism and to proclaim gratification in native identity. When the “idea” of identity and self-awareness erected and was elucidated through art, artists such as Solomon Belachew, Skunder Boghossian and Wosene Kosrof became well-known for their ability to reiterate the love of their country, culture and tradition through their artwork. What is identity? The fact of being who or what a person is. Solomon, Skunder and Wosene all share in common the assertion that Ethiopia is their country and their love for it fails to dissipate. The concepts for their works often pertain to specific events in Ethiopia/Africa, languages spoken in their country or the journey of their search for self.
To begin with, Solomon Belachew, an Ethiopian artist that derives from a family of artists drew attention to himself after his elaborately painted version of the Battle of Adwa. Ato Solomon’s style of painting is strictly secular, which may solely be due to his familial traditions. Several generations of Solomon’s family have painted in the secular style for decades and growing up as a young boy, Solomon learned how to paint by watching his father. Inspired, he matured and became a painter as well, with a style much different from those who surrounded him. With every character and object painted onto the canvas, Solomon’s rendition of the Battle of Adwa suggests depth and movement. In traditional paintings of the Battle of Adwa, the characters appear two-dimensional an unrealistic. The levels of depth, construction of the characters, and Solomon’s signature at the bottom of the painting is Solomon’s way of making a statement and categorizing his art as “modern”. Solomon’s use of bright blues, reds, yellows, and greens was his attempt to bring positivity to such a negative event as well as utilize the colors in the Ethiopian flag. This painting is a representation of Ethiopian pride; it sends the message that identity and self-awareness are extremely necessary for those who aspire to defeat when the odds are against them.
The next modern artist who honored Ethiopian pride is Alexander “Skunder” Boghossian. A modern Armenian-Ethiopian artist and past student at Takari Makonnen School was born in Addis Ababa and became well-known for his surrealist paintings that heavily consisted of beautifully textured surfaces. Skunder had the luxury of Haile Selassie personally sending him to London, then to Paris to further his education. At the age of 17, Skunder’s career took off due to a painting competition he won in 1955 at the National Exposition in Addis Ababa. The years between 1966 and 1972, Skunder had the opportunity to learn more about his native country and travel. Skunder decided to visit the cities of Gonder and Axum, as well as the monolithic church of Lallibela and other monasteries. Lallibela and Axum are both historically significant plots in Ethiopia.
While visiting, Skunder saw the funerary sculptures of southern Ethiopia and the grottoes of Harrar and was flabbergasted. Inspired by his experience and the knowledge he recently acquired about his country, in Skunder created a painting titled The end in the Beginning. The painting depicts the burning of Lallibela and Axum; the fall of the church and the indirect control in Ethiopia, foreshadowing the Ethiopian revolution in 1974. A white bird in the center of the painting witnesses and is a survivor of the destruction that has clearly taken place. The spirit figure along the right side of the painting is a representation of the past and looking to make a departure from the violent present. This painting alone shows Skunder’s awareness of his culture and his country’s history, which then gives him an opportunity to get to know himself and be proud of his origin. Skunder was also an artist who claimed his artwork by signing his name at the bottom of the painting, not only taking ownership, but also making others aware of his existence and concern for his country.
The last modern artist discussed that was a part of the modern art revolution is Wosene Kosrof. Born in 1950 in Addis Ababa, Wosene first began painting at a young age and his talent was recognized by his older brother who advised him to attend school and study fine arts. In his early years, Wosene depicted landscapes, urban scenes and local men and women. After experiencing acute boredom and noticing other students work and how similar to theirs his work was, Wosene sought change. Adding bright colors to his palette, embracing abstraction and utilizing Amharic script in his work, Wosene capture the attention of people everywhere. Wosene’s level of modernism is unbelievable. Not only did Wosene sign his artworks, but he signed them in both English and Amharic script. This was Wosene’s way of showing representation of his life in Ethiopia and his life in the U.S. Spending time in the states and attending school at Howard University was an experience that assisted the artist with self-discovery, while getting acclimated with the work of musicians such Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. Using Jazz to inspire his paintings and incorporating Amharic script to playfully speak to art critics and museum visitors as well as utilize it for design purposes is another aspect that classifies Wosene as Modern.
Self-awareness and claiming identity are two very important and slightly controversial things involved in modernism. The modernization of art began in the midst of turmoil, but managed to result in a simplistic beauty that can be hard to dissect. Artists have transitioned from anonymity to striving for acknowledgement from art critics and art supporters both nationally and internationally. The attempt to be different, elicit conversation, and erect curiosity from museum visitors with the simple signature at the bottom of artwork and acknowledgement of their cultural history, has given Solomon Belachew, Skunder Boghossian and Wosene Kosrof their right to exist in the world of modern art.