This January, the capital’s vibrant art scene welcomes a profound exploration of nature, resilience, and the human form. Addis Fine Art is proud to present Moments of Change, a major solo exhibition by acclaimed Ethiopian artist Tesfaye Bekele.
The exhibition, which opened on 10 January and runs through 20 February 2026, showcases a series of 17 abstract paintings produced over the last four years. At its heart, the collection grapples with the immense yet subtle power of the natural world, using the shifting of seasons as a poignant metaphor for the lived human experience.
The Architecture of Resilience
Tesfaye Bekele (b. 1982) brings a unique perspective to his canvas, one deeply informed by his background in biology and physiology. His work is a meditation on the “synapses, muscles, and bones” of the human body, translated into complex networks of lines and color.
For Bekele, the volatility of weather—from the nurturing rains of the Ethiopian summer to the harsh dry spells—parallels the realities of bodily limitation and endurance. This connection is not purely conceptual; it is physical. Balancing on metal crutches, Bekele often paints with his canvas on the floor, using a brush fixed to a long pole to create sweeping, gestural “skeletons” of thinned paint. This rhythmic, demanding process imbues each work with the energetic echo of his own movements.
“In this exhibition, I present my conversation with seasons and seasonal change,” Bekele explained. “Many people maintain an intimate emotional relationship with the seasons—especially the rainy months.”
Texture, Time, and Technique
The works in Moments of Change are executed in acrylic on canvas and textiles. The choice of fabric is a deliberate nod to the vulnerability of the body and the necessity of care.
Across these surfaces, color and texture shift in ways that suggest time is a physical sensation rather than a linear measurement. One of the exhibition’s highlights, titled Blue (2023), exemplifies his meticulous technique. Through repeated dots and layered lines, Bekele captures the sensory essence of the natural world—the smell of wet grass or the vibrancy of a leaf—creating compositions that oscillate between:
- Intimate botanical studies
- Vast aerial maps
- Distant, glowing constellations
Another significant piece, Threshold of Being, adopts a top-down perspective, evoking the deep, darkened soil of an Ethiopian summer after a heavy downpour.
About the Artist
A graduate of the Addis Ababa University Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, where he earned his BFA in 2010 and later an MFA, Tesfaye Bekele is both a practitioner and an educator. Currently a faculty member at his alma mater, his influence on the next generation of Ethiopian artists is as significant as his personal output.
Over the past decade, Bekele has participated in more than twenty exhibitions across Ethiopia, Kenya, Japan, Germany, and the UK. His work remains a testament to the power of abstraction to communicate the most intimate of human struggles and the universal desire for freedom through creation.
Moments of Change is available for viewing at Addis Fine Art’s main gallery space in Addis Ababa.
Exhibition Dates: 10 January – 20 February 2026
Location: Addis Fine Art, Addis Ababa
