Cascade of Knowledge : Ermias Kifleyesus

 

In his latest body of work, informed by his experience as an immigrant inhabiting the liminal point of intersection between two dramatically different cultures, Kifleyesus explores the complex and tense relationship between Africa and the West - particularly the way in which European and North American countires have appropriated African aesthetics and commodities.

 

Through his complex and layered oil collage paintings, Kifleyesus illuminates the myriad links between Western and African culture, both historical and art historical. Kifleyesus achieves this by skillfully intertwining images of events from the past, figures of prominence, and folkloric tales. The canvases are replete with hidden truths, and serve as a nuanced critique of contemporary power dynamics, which are all too often biased in favor of former colonialist and imperialist regimes. 

 

Originally from Addis Ababa, Kifleyesus currently lives and works in Brussels.