Tadesse Mesfin, photographed in his studio in Addis Ababa in February 2022 Courtesy Lucy Emms Photography and Addis Fine Art
Mesfin has long been considered a pioneer of Ethiopian modernism in his own country, where he has taught from some 35 years at the Alle School of Fine Art and Design in Addis Ababa, training and mentoring a generation of talented painters include Merikokeb Berhanu and Tesfaye Urgessa. However, an exhibition currently on view at Addis Fine Art in London (until 17 December) is only his second solo show in Europe. ‘We were forgotten,’ Mesfin says of his generation on the world stage. The recent paintings in this exhibition, which manage at the same time to be coolly graceful and unabashedly joyful, are evidence of a singular vision of modern Ethiopia that deserves to be better known abroad.
