70 - DAWIT ABEBE (ETHIOPIAN B.1978)

DAWIT ABEBE (ETHIOPIAN B.1978) (I)-(IV) BACKGROUND I SERIES each signed and dated Dawit ABEBE / 2006 (i) - (ii) acrylic on canvas; (iii) - (iv) mixed media on canvas each 33.2 x 33.1cm all unframed (4) Property of a Private Collector, Hertfordshire Provenance Acquired in Addis Ababa in 2013 Dawit Abebe (born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) is a contemporary artist exploring modernization, human behaviour, identity, and changing social history. A graduate of Addis Ababa University’s Alle School of Fine Art and Design, he uses mixed media, acrylics, and collage to examine how globalisation and digital technology reshape human relationships. His acclaimed Background 1 series debuted at Lela Gallery in Addis Ababa in 2014 and later expanded into Background 2. Inspired by discarded schoolbooks and newspapers found in a market, it considers how collective memory and historical “facts” evolve or disappear as younger generations embrace pop culture and digital communication. In Background 1, figures turn their backs to the viewer and face walls layered with text and fragments of old schoolbooks. Rather than signalling detachment, they carry their history, echoing the Amharic word gerba, meaning history or background. The series links personal journeys with national identity and asks viewers to confront the past to understand the present. His solo exhibition history spans major institutions across Europe, the US, and Africa, featuring acclaimed presentations such as Blackbox at the AKKA Project in Venice, Barefoot (ባዶ እግር) at the Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery in Berlin, and Hands Matter and The Balance of Things in London, alongside earlier foundational shows like Mutual Identity in Addis Ababa. His work has also been featured in major biennials, museum surveys, and fairs worldwide, including the touring Insistent Presence collection across American universities, the Karachi Biennial, Kubatana in Norway, Pangaea II at the Saatchi Gallery, and regular appearances at Art Dubai and the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Abebe's critical acclaim is underscored by his recognition as a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, a First Place Award from the Ethiopian Ministry of Culture, inclusion in Phaidon's African Artists: From 1882 to Now, and representation in prestigious permanent collections such as the Chazen Museum of Art, the Barjeel Art Foundation, and the Saatchi Collection.