Dawit Abebe is an emerging contemporary artist who has gained international recognition for his complex and enigmatic paintings. He was born in 1978 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and studied art at Addis Ababa University’s Alle School of Fine Art and Design, graduating in 2001 with degrees in painting, sculpture, graphic design, photography and industrial design.
At the same time, Dawit Abebe set up the Habesha Art Studio in his native, where he continues to be a full-time resident artist. The Ethiopian artist‘s work is influenced by a variety of sources, including political, social and technological interactions, stories, ephemeral moments and the experiences of everyday life, whether evolving or receding. Looking at his work, it’s easy to see how these influences blend and manifest themselves in his artistic practice.
Dawit Abebe’s paintings raise the artist’s questions, expressed through his art, in order to bring the public into this silent discussion between him and his works. In the experimentation and creation of his expressive art, Dawit Abebe allows himself to be guided by his instincts and senses to elicit a raw, natural rendering that more faithfully transcribes his inner emotions to his own eyes and to those of society at large. He uses a variety of media to represent these themes, creating works of art that are both intriguing and mysterious.
Active on the professional art scene for more than 12 years, the Ethiopian artist has won over art lovers with his unique multimedia experiences and paintings featuring complex textures and interesting visual effects. These works have been presented in numerous venues around the world including: East Africa Art Biennale, Tanzania; Cutlog Art Fair, Paris; East African Encounters by Circle Art, Nairobi; Al Bastakiya Art Fair, Dubai and Trade Roots, Kirstin Hjellegerde, London. Dawit Abebe also holds various solo exhibitions, including “Mutual Identity” at Addis Fine Art Gallery, Addis Ababa (2018), “Liminal in the age of Mobile-ty” at 68 Projects, Berlin (2018) and group shows such as “Uprising”, Schloss Görne, Berlin, Germany (2022); 1-54, London, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery (2021). Dawit Abebe‘s work is also part of the permanent collection of London’s Saatchi Art Gallery.
In his work, he addresses the social issues they represent, using bold colors that sometimes run counter to the darkness of the subject matter, and tackling contemporary environmental concerns such as high-tech urbanization and man’s presumption in the face of progress. With this in mind, Dawit Abebe makes his work available to charities such as UNICEF, where he helps set up workshops for street children in Arba Minch, Jinka and Addis Ababa.
Dawit Abebe‘s work is a testament to his commitment to creating artworks that are both complex and accessible. Using evocative images and canvases, textured materials and vivid colors, Dawit Abebe invites viewers to question various social themes.
