Selome Muleta (b. 1992) is one of the most exciting young female artists to emerge from the Ethiopian visual arts scene in recent years. Now based in Addis Ababa, Selome studied art formally at the Abyssinia Fine Art School (2012) and Entoto Polytechnic College (2013 – 2014). Throughout her latest body of work, Selome merges portraiture with still life in a meditative exploration of womanhood and interiority.
Selome crafts rich internal worlds through the colour-laden interior scenes of her canvases, which frequently depict women in states of inner reflection. The gestural, loose quality of her strokes coupled with her sophisticated blending of pastels with vibrant shades of crimson and green creates an atmosphere both quiet and complex. The patterned fabrics incorporated in many of the works are a nod to the traditional Ethiopian textiles which Selome grew up with. At times, the faces of her characters are obscured or cropped, and the viewer is invited instead to focus on the sparse array of objects that decorate the room. A drooping plant, a dozing feline companion, a distant crooked framed portrait – the line between living and non-living objects becomes blurred, and the viewer is encouraged instead to focus on the sheer physicality of being. Much like Giorgio Morandi’s bottles and bowls, the flattened characters and objects born from Selome’s brush seem to hum serenely with the energy of their very existence.
