Painting Amharic: Wosene Worke Kosrof

Addis Fine Art is pleased to present Painting Amharic, an online solo exhibition of 7 works by abstract master Wosene Worke Kosrof (b. 1950). Open from 25th October to 14th December , the carefully-curated selection features artworks  from Addis Fine Art collection and covers a time period of 6 years in the life of the artist, from 2012 to 2018.

Over the past four decades, Wosene Worke Kosrof has created his own idiosyncratic and recognisable artistic signature found throughout his work, the use of the Fiedel script, derived from his native Amharic language, which is incorporated into his paintings. The use of the ancient script, combined with abstract influences from the American modernist movement, synthesizes seamlessly on his canvases to create works which speak to Kosrof’s own experiences as an American – Ethiopian. The script is often found in his work accompanied by musical notes, a separate nod to another of his great influences, American jazz music, which he often plays whilst working, serving as a tool of inspiration.

Formally trained at the Addis Ababa University, Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, he completed a BFA with distinction in 1972. Then, as a Ford Foundation Talent Scholar, he was awarded an MFA in 1980 from Howard University in Washington, DC.

Museums with his works in their permanent collections include the National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa; Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (DC); The Newark Museum (NJ); Neuberger Museum (NY); Indianapolis Museum of Art (IN); Birmingham Museum of Art (AL); Fowler Museum of UCLA (CA); Samuel Harn Museum (FL); Krannert Art Museum, (IL): Fleming Museum (VT), the Völkerkunde Museum, Switzerland. My Liberty, 2016 was acquired in 2017 by the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. Wosene has exhibited extensively in museums and institutions across the world, including Körsbärsgården museum, Gotland, Sweden (2019); Keith Haring Museum, Japan (2017); Kennedy Museum of Art, Ohio University, Athens, OH (2016); Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA (2011) and Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC (2007).