Jan Kaps and Addis Fine Art are pleased to announce the co-representation of Ethiopian artist Selome Muleta, marking a significant step in the artist’s international trajectory. This collaboration brings together two leading galleries committed to supporting innovative contemporary practices and introducing Muleta’s work to wider global audiences.
Born in 1992 in Ethiopia, Selome Muleta’s practice intricately explores femininity, interiority, and psychological space through lush, layered compositions that often merge portraiture with botanical and domestic motifs. Her paintings, imbued with a deep sense of introspection, often depict solitary women in surreal, imagined spaces that blur the boundaries between inner and outer worlds. Drawing upon personal experience and the wider cultural dynamics of contemporary Ethiopian life, Muleta’s work speaks with poetic intensity and visual fluency.
Muleta’s rising international profile has been bolstered by a series of significant solo and dual presentations across Europe, London, and Addis Ababa. In June 2025, her debut solo exhibition with Jan Kaps, Motion, opened in Cologne, unveiling a visceral new body of work that explores stillness, movement, and internal transformation. Prior to this, she presented two major exhibitions at Addis Fine Art London, a dual presentation in 2024 and a solo exhibition in 2022. Her first solo exhibition with Addis Fine Art in Addis Ababa in 2020 introduced her distinctive painterly language and laid the foundation for her international career.
Muleta’s paintings have also gained traction on the global fair circuit, with Jan Kaps presenting her work at Art Basel, Hong Kong (March 2025), Art Basel, Basel (June 2025), and a forthcoming dual presentation at Art Basel Paris (October 2025). Her earlier solo booth with Addis Fine Art at Liste, Basel (2024) marked a pivotal moment in her international visibility, following a widely celebrated solo presentation at Frieze London (2022). Together, these exhibitions and presentations have established Muleta as a distinct and vital voice in contemporary painting.
Muleta’s works have been acquired by institutional collections including the Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo, Norway, and the Artistic Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (AMOCA), Cardiff, Wales.
“As a self-taught artist,” says Jan Kaps, “Selome Muleta has developed a distinct and confident voice. Working from Ethiopia, she creates intimate subjects with remarkable visual presence. We’re excited to support her practice through opportunities that reflect the growing international recognition of her work, including her upcoming duo presentation at Art Basel Paris.”
Addis Fine Art co-founders Rakeb Sile and Mesai Haileleul added, “Selome is one of the most compelling voices in Ethiopia’s contemporary art landscape today. Her work captures both vulnerability and strength, charting rich inner worlds with beauty and nuance. This partnership with Jan Kaps is a vital next step in expanding her visibility and impact internationally.”
