From Addis to Here - 3 Ethiopian Artists
Date: Sat, April 12th 2008 - Sat, May 24th 2008Event Tags: Art Shows
Location: Gateway's Heliport Gallery
THE HELIPORT GALLERYis proud to invite you to our new show
'From Addis to here", on the 12th of April at 6pm, featuring 3 Ethiopian artists;
Matewos Leggesse, Solomon Afsaw and Abera Mehari.
Abera will be coming from Ethiopia specially for the event. The artists will be part of the 'Collaborative Artists Program' and will work in the gallery for 2 weeks before the event.
Food will be catered by Addis Ababa Restaurant in Silver Spring and The Nile Restaurant in D.C.
The coffee ceremony will be catered by Cafe' Crescent of Silver Spring.
Please join us for the opening reception.
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 4-7 pm and by appointment
Matewos Leggesse, Solomon Asfaw, and Abera Mehari.
Matewos Leggesse Matewos has exhibited extensively in Ethiopia and Europe. He studied Graphic design and Amharic literature. His imagery leans towards his Ethiopian roots, figures, animals, and flowers are his favourite subjects. Some paintings reveal figures with long necks (reminiscent of Modigliani) adorned with Ethiopian cultural symbols. These are carefully realized and painted with a reverence for detail and
design.
Solomon Asfaw Solomon studied at the Ethiopian school of Fine Art and Design. His paintings reflect the Ethiopian Eastern regions and urban settings, using a modernist painting technique that reveals brush stroke and paint. His works have a sophistication and elegance that somehow are enhanced by him not always completing aspects of the work. Faces are left unpainted or with just the use of a flat black, interesting spaces are left to breathe and allow the viewer to complete the picture.
Abera Mehari Abera’s paintings resemble stained glass windows, broken into prisms of flowing color, using a chiaroscuro play of light and darks. His inspiration is drawn from both personal and religious iconography e.g. Christ on the cross or figures in a city landscape. These figures are usually surrounded by rainbow colors of light, sometimes resembling the Ethiopian flag.
The Collaborative Artist Program
The Gateway Heliport Gallery continues to sponsor the collaboration of artists working together on projects and art events. This program is about fostering personal and community transformation, Solomon,Abera,Mateos and Neil Joffe ( The Gateway Arts Manager ) will work on different projects of combined and separate works for 2 weeks prior to the opening of the “From Addis to here” Show.