Tesfaye Urgessa

Tesfaye Urgessa's artwork explores social criticism, race, and the politics of identity. He blends traditional figuration with Ethiopian iconography, Cubism, and German Neo-expressionism.

Biography of Tesfaye Urgessa

Tesfaye Urgessa was born in 1983 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2006, he received a BA from Addis Ababa University, Alle School of Fine Art and Design. In 2014, he completed his studies at Staatlichen Akademie der Bildende Kunst. 

From 2009 to 2011, Tesfaye Urgessa was awarded a DAAD scholarship. He also received Camillo-Michele-Gloria-Preis from GasVersorgung Süddeutschland (GSV) in 2010 and a Prize of the State Academy of Stuttgart in 2014.  

Some of his notable solo exhibitions include "Atemzug" at Galerie Tobias Schrade, Germany (2019), "Oltre/Beyond" at Le Gallerie Degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy (2018), "Auszeit" at Galerieverein Wendlingen, Germany (2017), "Free fall" at Galerie Evelyn Drewes, Germany (2017), "Body and Soul" at Sympra GmbH, Germany (2015), and "Tesfaye Urgessa – Untitled" at Galerie K, Germany (2015).

Currently, Tesfaye Urgessa lives and works in Nürtingen, Germany.

Tesfaye Urgessa's Art Style

Tesfaye's artistic inspiration draws from his childhood and memories as an Ethiopian young man. Studying under the guidance of the modern master Tadesse Mesfin at the Alle School of Fine Art and Design, Urgessa formed a profound connection with Ethiopian iconography. This connection is poised to become a lasting and integral element in his future artistic endeavors.  

Later, during his travels in Europe, he discovered the legacy of German Neo-Expressionism and the London School, elements that he would integrate into his artistic imagery.

Storytelling and a form of artistic activism became the foundation of Urgessa's distinctive style. The silent exchange between the observer and the observed disrupts power dynamics and challenges notions of agency and race. The subjects extend beyond the frame with their gaze, prompting a questioning interaction with the viewer.

Every composition is spontaneous, emerging from the depths of Urgessa's subconscious where random images transcend into the external world and onto the canvas. Brushstrokes evolve into muscles, tendons, and flesh, while chromatic masses construct the spaces that envelop the figures.