Skunder Bogossian

Skunder Boghossian is the best know African artist. His permanent collection short list includes: The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Musee d’Art Moderne, Paris; The Studio Museum in Harlem and the National Museum Of African Art, Washington. His formal training at the School of Paris influenced his skill but never touched his heart or imagination. Although he spent most of his adult life in America an only three years of that time in Ethiopia, he is the most Ethiopian of Ethiopian painters.


Skunder

The Three Most Influential Artists In Ethioia

Three decades ago, the art scene of Addis Ababa was dominated by the three maestros: Afewerk Tekle, Gebre Kristos Desta, and Skunder Boghossian, recipient of the Haile Selassie I fine arts award. Afewerk was important for his contribution as the first to introduce contemporary techniques to Ethiopian subject matter and content, Gebre Kristos for being responsible for introducing non-figurative art into Ethiopia and Skunder for trying to give the linear-graphic ancient Ethiopian art a new image. All three were European-educated, which was typical at that time. Many others did not achieve that status in imperial Ethiopia, and even today are not honored and recognized by their compatriots, as they should be,
Ethiopianartists

The first Ethiopian Abstract expressionist

Gebre Kristos paintings are remarkable not only for their technical and formal achievements but also for their symbolic power and psychological insight. He observed and commented upon the political strife of Ethiopians in a symbolically expressionistic way. His works can sometimes be very sophisticated for the general viewer, but even as such, they are a feast for the eyes, and are easier to digest and enjoy than some of the more complicated, distorted, and awkward compositions of other artists of his generation.


Gebre Kirstos Desta

Another Link

Mursi People and Their Body Arts

The Mursi people live in Ethiopia near the border of Sudan. They are found by the British anthropologist around 1972. they are known by their body piercing and decoration to make themselves more beautiful and get married. They believe that if as their lip-plate and ear-plat go wider and wider , they are going to be selected by their spouse to be more beautiful than others. So, they get more bride-price than the others. Therefore, Mursi girls spend most of their time by piercing and widening their lips and ears. They put plates made of clay in the pierced part of their lip and ears so that their lips and ear enlarge. Even tough this kind of cultural deed is so hard and health threatening, they are still exercising to aesthetic beauty in their life. This is the best and the most acceptable kind of art in their culture. it is known that the perception of arts change over time through many factors. This condition works in Mursi art of body decoration. The starting of body piercing in Mursi people was not intended to bring beauties for the women but to be seen ugly in their enemies. Since they were so minority in number that their neighbouring tribes used to attack and forced them to slavery. So, body piercing and decoration was their cultural tactic to defend themselves from their enemies . But now , it transformed from defence mechanism to the best art that helps women earn more bride-price in their culture.



More Photos

Photo Manipulation

PHOTO

Photography is one the fine arts that may artist show their talents by manipulating it. like abstract works of painting, photographers also express their feelings and ideas in another way by manipulating photographs. this kind of approach let the viewers think deeply and go beyond the ordinary meanings of the workpieces.

Body Decoration In Africa

Africa

Most primitive people in Africa know arts before they go to school or assimilate to nearby societies. Art is the first physical language to introduce themselves to outsiders. Their art mostly focus on tattoo and body decoration. They do body decoration for cultural and religious purposes. In addition, the styles and the texture of their arts make them unique, and reveal their identity. This trend shows that human being and art are inseparable. Art is not directly connected to the civilization. Every people have its own art even though there is a big difference in development of art because of technology and modernity. So, when one is born, he is not only coming to this world but also to the art life.

Photography and Africa

In Africa, many photographers saved the lives of millions by their powerful skills. They showed for the world the massacre of African people because of war, civil violence, political instability and hunger. They could draw the attentions of the people of the world to consider the situations and take measures towards the problem. This is one of great evidences that art is basic and powerful in our life.