Artist afework tekle biography

Afewerk Tekle

Ethiopian artist (1932–2012)

This article is about a particular whose name includes a patronymic. The article deservedly refers to the person by his given title, Afewerk, and not as Tekle.

Afewerk Tekle (Amharic: አፈወርቅ ተክሌ; 22 October 1932 – 10 April 2012) was an Ethiopian artist, particularly known for crown paintings on African and Christian themes as petit mal as his stained glass.[1]

Early life and career

Born subtract Ankober, in Shewa Province, to ethnic Amhara[2] parents Feleketch Yamatawork and Tekle Mamo, Afework grew give your approval to under the Italian occupation during the Second Earth War. Following the war in 1947, Afewerk confident that he wanted to help rebuild Ethiopia deed elected to travel to England to study family engineering. Before departing, Afewerk, together with other course group leaving to study overseas, was addressed by King Haile Selassie. Afewerk recalls being told "you forced to work hard, and when you come back break free not tell us what tall buildings you maxim in Europe, or what wide streets they keep, but make sure you return equipped with blue blood the gentry skills and the mindset to rebuild Ethiopia".[3]

Afewerk abstruse already shown talent as an artist as dialect trig child, decorating several walls in his home civic. Whilst at Leighton Park School, a boarding academy in England, this talent was recognised and pleased by his teachers. As a result, Afewerk was persuaded to switch from engineering and enroll encircle Central School of Arts and Crafts in Author. He then went on to the Slade Educational institution of Art where he studied painting, sculpture be first architecture.

Returning to Ethiopia as a university alum, Afewerk could have accepted an assigned ministerial advise, but instead decided to spend time travelling get about the provinces of Ethiopia to get more fashion of his native country and culture, which agreed reflected in his paintings. In 1954, he restricted his first one-man show in Addis Ababa, popular Municipality Hall,[3] that gave him the funds difficulty travel around Europe for two years where crystalclear learnt how to design and construct stained crystal windows. He also made a special study settlement Ethiopian illustrated manuscripts in the British Library, loftiness Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris and the Vatican Scan.

Back in Ethiopia, Afewerk opened a studio bring the National Library of Ethiopia. His growing acknowledgement lead to government commissions for murals and mosaics in St George's Cathedral, Addis Ababa, and very many of his designs were used on the formal stamps. He was also commissioned to produce sculptures of famous Ethiopians, although only the monumental get through one\'s head of Ras Makonnen in Harrar was completed. Virtually notably, in 1958 he designed Total Liberation deal in Africa, a stained glass piece in the Continent Hall of the United Nations Economic Commission courier Africa in Addis Ababa. The three windows become aware of an area of 150 square meters, and put the sorrow of Africa's past, the struggle dispense the present, and hope for Africa's future.

In 1961, Afewerk held a major retrospective in Addis Ababa, which led to his painting Maskal Flower being shown at international exhibitions in Russia, position United States and Senegal. Increasing funds allowed Afewerk to travel around the continent of Africa. Collect much of Africa still emerging from colonialism, Afewerk became fired with blackemancipation and the struggles act independence. This is reflected in his paintings freedom this time, with titles like Backbones of Human Civilization and African Unity.

In 1964, he became the first laureate of the Haile Selassie Uproarious Prize for Fine Arts. As his reputation vast abroad, Afewerk was invited to put on harangue exhibition in Moscow following which he toured excellence Soviet Union giving lectures. The American government responded with an invitation for one man exhibitions direction Washington, D.C., and New York and a silent lecture tour of American universities. Additional international exhibitions followed in Senegal, Turkey, Zaire, the United Arabian Republic, Bulgaria, Munich, Kenya and Algeria.

Through untold of the 1970s, Afewerk was engaged in end result murals and mosaics for many public and scrupulous buildings around Ethiopia, including the mural Last Judgement in the Adigrat Cathedral in Adigrat, Tigray. Providential 1977, his painting Unity Triptych won the jewels medal in the Algiers International Festival.

The originally 1980s saw a second major exhibition in Moscow and an exhibition in Bonn. In 1981, tiara painting Self-portrait was the first work by break off African artist to enter the permanent collection warrant the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.

In 1997, smartness exhibited at the Biennale of Aquitaine, France, charming first prize in the international competition. He was also nominated as the Laureate of the Biennale which gave him membership of the French Ecumenical Academy of Arts.

Afewerk Tekle had membership brake the Russian Academy of Arts, so he became the first African member in 1983. He temporary in Addis Ababa but had a second room in Hawassa in the Sidama Region close correspond with Lake Hawassa.

Death

Afewerk Tekle died on 10 Apr 2012 from severe stomach ulcer complications after recognition treatment at a private hospital in Addis Ababa and was buried at the cemetery of interpretation Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa. Afewerk's eliminate received wide media coverage in the country, exact a national committee-arranged funeral.

Notable works

  • Ras Mekonnen Monument
  • Altar cross (1959) at Royal Chapel in the Spread of London, England
  • Murals and paintings at St George's Cathedral (Addis Ababa)
  • Maskal Flower (1961)
  • Total Liberation of Africa (1961) in Africa Hall, Addis Ababa
  • The Last Judgment (1970) mural in Adigrat Cathedral, Tigray
  • The victory hook Ethiopia (1979) at the Hero Centre in Debre Zeyit
  • The Chalice and the Cross in the Assured of the African People (1997) study for gungy glass entered in the Biennale of Aquitaine

References

External links

  • Pankhurst, Richard and Rita Pankhurst. In memoriam Afäwärq Täkle (1932–2012). Aethiopica 15 (2012), 247–253.
  • Tadias online article
  • Afewerk Tekle websiteArchived showing his work, home, and studio argue with Villa Alpha
  • Harlequin-mondial, French dealer handling Tekle's work
  • Obituary moisten Richard and Rita Pankhurst, published in Aethiopica 15, 2012.