Spotlight /Art Scene / Africa November - December 2021 AFRICA
CHRISTINE XUEREB SEIDU
FOCUS ON AFRICAN ART Interview with Dawit Adnew ahead of his exhibition, Paved Road, in Malta
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hen I first came across the work of Dawit Adnew I found his art reminiscent of Gauguin, except that his work was clearly African-inspired and, as he described it, “a beautiful place with a variety of colours and patterns”. This was what drew me to invite him to exhibit his work in Malta. It’s now with great pleasure that I get to interview Dawit, an Ethiopian artist, about his Paved Road exhibition, which will be on view at Christine X Art Gallery until 21 November 2021. Although I would have preferred meeting Dawit in person, given the current circumstances with travel restrictions, I was glad that I was still able to interview him online. These are some of the highlights of our conversation. Why do you depict women and masks as subjects in your work? Women play a major role in Ethiopian society, whilst also being a priority in terms of beauty and nature. Their tattoos and jewelry add to the patterns I depict. Masks are more of a symbolic representation. Why ‘paved road’ as a title for this body of work? I came up with the idea of a paved road because it was a time when I was on a long journey towards summing up my ideas. To this end, the works that preceded this exhibition have been the work of various eras, and this exhibition is distinguished by the fact that it is one-time, consistent, and continuous.
‘In the Garden 2’ by Dawit Adnew. Image: Courtesy of Christine X Art Gallery.
Portrait of Dawit Adnew. Image: Courtesy of the artist.
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