Born in 1982, Tesfaye Bekele grew up in Addis Ababa during a shifting cultural and political landscape in the country. As a young child he began drawing art out of interest as a way to document the images in his community. In 2007 he entered the Addis Ababa University Alle School of Fine Arts and Design to pursue a degree in Art Education. Tesfaye currently teaches at the School of Fine Arts and participates in numerous group exhibitions and art workshops.