AFRICA African art exhibition at Christine X in Malta

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

When 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.

Portrait of Dawit Adnew. Image: Courtesy of the artist. ‘In the Garden 2’ by Dawit Adnew. Image: Courtesy of Christine X Art Gallery.

CHRISTINE XUEREB SEIDU founded Christine X Art Gallery in 2004 after a university degree in Art History and Anthropology. She has returned to Malta after a year in Ghana where she explored African art and culture.

How and when did you start painting?

I was around 9 or ten years old, and I was close to a relative of mine who was an artist. I studied at art school for four years and I continued developing my style on my own.

What inspires you to paint and are there any artists who you look up to?

I always want to draw and paint when I feel good. When I visit exhibitions or have a good time around art, my desire to paint increases. I am also very curious to figure out my next step after each painting. The teachers who taught me contributed to my style, but I am a huge fan of the Ethiopian abstract artist Yohannes Gedamu, and I believe his influence is the reason why I am now becoming more experimental. Despite all influences, I do believe my work has its own signature.

What do you see as success as an artist? In Ethiopia I believe there is nothing more exciting than an artist having his or her own studio and being able to work as an artist, full time. My dream is to keep my own, and my fellow Ethiopian artists in Ethiopia, so our work can be returned to the community’s identity.

What impact do you believe art has in society?

Art is the basis of a country’s development and civilization. It is one of the main tools used by civilized nations to maintain the balance of civilization, as it is the source and destination of art. It is possible to predict the future generation of our country, especially if the government uses it as a tool to build the next generation.

Is the work of an artist valued well in Ethiopia?

Working as an artist can be difficult at times, as artists are often misunderstood by their family and the community. This is because the government does not value the profession very much. We lack a lot of art supplies, but a private institution has tried to cover the problem upon realizing this challenge. Very few internationally acclaimed art galleries are based in Ethiopia and very often it’s up to us artists to further the culture of art appreciation. Things are changing for the better and we might succeed with our next generation of artists by continuing to bring art to the community.

We are thrilled to have the work of Dawit Adnew at Christine X Art Gallery in Malta this November with his collection of artworks titled Paved Road, showing between 5 and the 21 November 2021. Please contact the gallery should you like to have more information.

Maltese Artists: Did you know?

One of the schemes offered by Arts Council Malta is the International Cultural exchanges and its aim is specifically to help artists set up residencies or any project abroad.

The International Cultural Exchanges Scheme forms part of Arts Council Malta’s Internationalisation Strategy for the cultural and creative sectors. It focuses specifically on the outgoing mobility of Maltese and Malta based artists, as well as their artworks and cultural productions.

The spread of Covid-19 has temporarily made travel more difficult. However, it has given digital cultural exchanges an enormous boost. This scheme also addresses this and allows artists to exchange their art works not only physically, but also digitally.

ACM strongly encourages, but does not limit, cultural exchanges with the following: the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Africa.

Please find the link with more information below. https://www.artscouncilmalta.org/pages/ funds-opportunities/restart-schemes-2021/ international-cultural-exchanges/

The new deadlines for this fund will be issued in January 2022 with the rest of all our funds.