Ethiopian Painting: The Modernizers

Ethiopian Painting:
Zarayaqob (Zara Yaiqob 1433-1468) court painter, monk Fretsion (Fere Seyon) inspired by the most important Christian iconography epitomizes Ethiopian painting style and influence Ethiopian painters for centuries afterword. The painting style developed during Zarayaqob time is known as Ethiopian Painting.
An art education had existed in the nation for several centuries and the concept of "art education" was distinctly different from "craft training" and was considered a product of the learned. The concept of modernizing Ethiopian art education was born as part of the overall modernizing of Ethiopia, which began during the second part of the 19th century.
This was a period that saw the beginnings of unification, military reform, the birth of fairly well developed literary Amharic, and the establishment of schools. As the foundations of modern educational institutions moved, in less than a century, from Gafat, Maqdela, and Tamben to Entotto -- where it finally flourished in Addis Ababa — so did its artistic foundations.
In the 1940s, after the Italians left, self-respect and the underlying bases for development were given the highest priority. In art, academic naturalism was not taken entirely as part of modernization package. The fundamental point of departure for the formation of the Western canon of art, naturalistic art derived from individual life study was of little interest for Zemenawie as it was for the early Zemenawie and latter for Zemenay artists. On the other hand their Western education had provided a powerful impulse to artistic development.
In the 1960s Modern Art Movements become a specific source of inspiration for a group of instructors and students of art, who emulated Western modernist styles. This becomes even more evident after ZEMENAY Gebre Kristos' one man show in 1963.
By the 1980s, Ethiopian revolution becomes yet another source of inspiration for a group of radical artists, art instructors and students and once again ZEMENAWI painting becomes the mainstream. The radical artists refined and perfected ZEMENAWI painting and it carry on as a triumphant peak for two decades. However, as the Cold War came to a close, time run out for ZEMENAWI painting.
In the 2000s contemporary artists quickly engage as gatekeepers of Modernized Ethiopian Painting. The new tendency is to reconsider and relearn the modernized artistic heritage and the popular culture and bring to the fore an art form with national characteristics and universal meaning.

Esseye G Medhin

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Ethiopian
• Painting
• Modernizers
• Modern
• Modernists
• Contemporary
• painters