ZigZag: Scaling Ethiopian Arts and Crafts
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Loading... - Maryann Kwakye
- 06 Apr 2023
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Be it prehistoric rock art or church painting, Ethiopia has great ethnic and linguistic diversity, and styles in secular traditional crafts vary greatly in different parts of the country.
Alebel Desta has worked as an architect for more than three decades, and he has always had a deep appreciation for traditional Ethiopian arts and crafts. His mother, an artist in her own right, showed him the range of possibilities open to him when it came to making handmade creations. He remembers how often his mother knitted and how she would incorporate her own unique style into traditional items like sweaters and blankets.
His upbringing in a creative environment ignited a lifelong passion for the arts that ultimately led him to study architecture. Through his work as an architect, he also wanted to fulfill a deep-seated urge to give Ethiopian arts and crafts the spotlight they deserve.
So, Alebel collaborated with other artists to launch ZigZag, an establishment that showcases modern interpretations of traditional Ethiopian and African motifs. The crafts on display at the recently established gallery represent over 20 years of effort by numerous people.
Many of the paintings in the collection combine modern painting techniques with traditional Ethiopian and African artworks, using bold colors and geometric shapes, patterns, and lines. Crosses, tattoos, and tilet from Ethiopia have inspired several of the works on display around the gallery.
Most of the patterns and designs on display are based on traditional local patterns and artwork created by our mothers, according to Alebel. “We drew inspiration for these hues, patterns, and motifs from a variety of African and Ethiopian works of art.”
Also included in the exhibition is a studio/workspace designed to be as open, free, and creative as possible, where architects and inspired youth can experiment by touching, feeling, and putting their ideas into reality. Read More…
