Wosene Worke Kosrof

Wosene Worke Kosrof, a visionary Ethiopian painter and mixed-media artist, has left an indelible mark on the world of contemporary art.

Biography of Wosene Worke Kosrof

Born in 1955, Wosene earned his B.F.A. from the School of Fine Arts in Addis Ababa in 1972 and later pursued an M.F.A. from Howard University in 1980. Wosene Worke Kosrof is best known for his renderings of the Amharic script. His distinctive style involves distorting, elongating, dissecting, and reassembling the symbols to create visually stunning and intellectually engaging compositions.

A trailblazer in his field, Wosene Worke Kosrof is recognized as the first Ethiopian-born contemporary artist to elevate the Amharic script to a core aesthetic element in fine art. The Amharic script, derived from the ancient Ge’ez language, holds a significant place in Ethiopian culture as one of the few indigenous written systems in Africa.

Wosene Worke Kosrof's works are not confined to the studio; they have found homes in prestigious museum collections, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, The Newark Museum, the Neuberger Museum, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Fowler Museum at UCLA, the Samuel P. Harn Museum, and the National Museum in Addis Ababa. Beyond museums, his pieces grace numerous international private and corporate collections.  

Wosene Worke Kosrof's Art Style

Wosene Worke Kosrof's artistic signature emerges from his inventive renderings of the script symbols, transforming them into captivating images. His exploration of the relationship between sound and color in art is a testament to his creative depth, with jazz playing a particularly influential role in his process. Jazz improvisations infuse rhythmic movements into his compositions, enhancing the masterful use of color that defines his work.

In Wosene Worke Kosrof's own words, his paintings create a "visible, interacting surface - like an icon available to everyone," inviting viewers into a dialogue that resonates with memory and personal interpretation. 

Central to Wosene Worke Kosrof's artistic philosophy is the interplay of accident and intention, mastery and uncertainty, curiosity, and discovery. This unique approach challenges viewers to actively engage with his works, discovering meanings that emerge through the interaction between the artist's vision and their perspectives.