Tariku Shiferaw

Tariku Shiferaw is widely known for his approach to mark-making, delving into the metaphysical concepts of painting and societal structures.

Biography of Tariku Shiferaw

Tariku Shiferaw was born in 1983 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He grew up in Los Angeles and currently lives and works in New York.

In 2007, he received a BFA from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. In 2015, he obtained an MFA from Parsons School of Design in New York. Four years later, in 2019, Tariku Shiferaw completed the Independent Study Program at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

Shiferaw participated in Open Sessions at The Drawing Center (2018–2020) and the LES Studio Program in New York (2019-2020). He was an artist-in-residence at the World Trade Center through Silver Art Projects (2020 - 2022).

His recent solo exhibitions include "Marking Oneself in Dark Places" at Galerie Lelong & Co. in New York (2023), "Making Space: One of These Black Boys" at the Southampton African American Museum in New York (2023), "It’s a love thang, it’s a joy thang" at Galerie Lelong & Co. in New York (2021), "Erase Me" at Addis Fine Art in London (2017), and many more.

Tariku Shiferaw's artwork has been featured in numerous group exhibitions worldwide, including "States of Becoming," curated by Fitsum Shebeshe at ICI in New York (2022), "Summer of Possibilities," curated by Alteronce Gumby at Bode Projects in Berlin (2022), "What You See Is What You Get" at MASSIMODECARLO in Milan (2022), "From Modern to Contemporary" at CFHill Art Space in Stockholm (2021), among others. 

Tariku Shiferaw's Art Style

Tariku Shiferaw is renowned for his engagement in mark-making, which delves into the metaphysical concepts of painting and societal structures. Employing a formal language of geometric abstraction, he densely layers materials to form "marks" that scrutinize space-making and allude to the hierarchy of systems.

“
A mark, as physical and present as cave-markings… reveals the thinker behind the gesture—an evidence of prior markings of ideas and self onto the space.
Tariku Shiferaw

Shiferaw also integrates ready-made objects and materials into his installations, frequently employing transparent and colored mylar. By subverting their utilitarian characteristics in assembly or hanging, he crafts a compelling body of works that challenges perceptions of space. While his work can be contextualized within the framework of midcentury abstraction, the artist enriches this formal vocabulary by incorporating critical observations from popular culture.

The artist draws inspiration from the diverse cultures surrounding him, particularly in the realms of music and language. His ongoing series, "One of These Black Boys," delves into the exploration of painting and societal structures through mark-making. This series is a homage to musical genres originating from Black communities, including Hip-hop, R&B, Reggae, Afrobeats, Blues, and Jazz. The works are infused with musical references, identities, and cultural histories, taking inspiration from song titles in these genres. Shiferaw creates paintings that embody the experiences and struggles expressed through music by Black artists and composers. His exploration spans a spectrum of themes, from the concept of Black bodies in a white social construct to popular themes of romance, sex, and daily life - existence.

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