Julie Mehretu

Julie Mehretu (born 1970) is an Ethiopian-American artist known for her large-scale abstract paintings and prints. Her work explores themes of architecture, geography, history, and social justice, and is characterized by intricate, layered compositions that combine gestural marks with architectural and cartographic elements.

Mehretu was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and grew up in East Lansing, Michigan. She studied art at Kalamazoo College in Michigan and later received her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her early work was influenced by abstract expressionism and graffiti art, but she later developed her signature style of layered abstraction that incorporates elements of drawing, painting, and printmaking.

Mehretu's works often begin with hand-drawn sketches or photographs of architectural or urban spaces, which are then layered with gestural marks, geometric shapes, and other elements to create complex, multi-layered compositions. Her works are often large in scale, and she frequently collaborates with other artists and architects on site-specific installations.