Searching for the Indigenous Wisdom by Aklilu Temesgen

Aklilu Temesgen, Searching for the Indigenous Wisdom, 2021. Mixed Media, 24×28.5 Inches

Searching for the indigenous wisdom i use the forms and motifs that i find in the east African traditional paintings together with the West African masks to find out the wisdom of my ancestors. I use the form of a ‘Telsem’ which is an Ethiopian traditional art especially the ‘kitab’ in this painting. Using a variety of African heritage and patters I depict the complex secrets of our ancestors.

Aklilu Temesgen (Born in 1980, Ethiopia), is a contemporary visual artist, who researches on African visual art, art education and globalization. Based in Silver Spring, MD, USA. BA in painting, School of Fine Arts and Design, Addis Ababa University 2004. MA in African Studies, Addis Ababa University 2014. MA in Culture Media and Society, Lancaster University 2016. Aklilu’s recent abstract paintings create a vibrant deep rhyme in decorative narrative representation of African indigenous wisdom, culture and traditions by combining the East and West African art. Aklilu uses Ethiopian ‘Telsem’ and ‘Kitab’ art as ongoing experiment and exploration. His strong play of pattern, color, and expressive form is a result of his on-going exploration of the traditional abstract style found within African culture which interprets to his visual language. His interpretation of contemporary African life creates a harmonious aesthetic which is characterized by a vibrancy of color and movement. Aklilu Temesgen has exhibited his work and participated in several artist workshops consistently both locally and internationally including Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan, Zambia, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Kenya, Poland, and the United States. Aklilu is a cultural activist who visually researches on culture, social and political issues of Ethiopia as well as Africa. He is one of the founders of the Ethiopian Visual Artist’s Association (EVAA).