Dawit Adnew
Dawit Adnew
Woven Moments
Dawit Adnew (b. 1973) is based in Addis Ababa and attended the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design. Occasionally working from images or models, Dawit's process is highly experimental. His practice is informed by studies in masks and iconography, and his use of patterns and fabric emerges from his experience as a textile designer. Surrounded by blooming flowers and creeping foliage, the women depicted in his canvases seem to communicate wordlessly with one another, drawing the viewer into their silent dialogue. Dawit has been included in various fairs and exhibitions in London, Addis Ababa, Kenya, and Malta.
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Dawit Adnew
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Anticipation II, 2022
Acrylic on canvas
165 x 210 cm
8 9 Present Day , 2022
Acrylic on canvas
100 × 100 cm
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Fabulous Fashion , 2022
Acrylic on canvas
135 x 135 cm
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Vacation II , 2022
Acrylic on canvas
165 x 210 cm
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Vacation I, 2022
Acrylic on canvas
140 x 230 cm
Another Lifestyle , 2022
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Acrylic on canvas
135 x 135 cm
In 2016, Rakeb Sile and Mesai Haileleul co-founded Addis Fine Art, creating the first white-cube gallery space for modern and contemporary art in Ethiopia. Described as one of the “Most Important Young Galleries in the World” (Artsy 2019), the gallery has since then grown to become one of the leading galleries in Africa, establishing a prominent international platform for artists from the Horn of Africa.
In October 2021, Addis Fine Art London moved into expanded premises in Eastcastle Street, opening a two-storey gallery space in the heart of Fitzrovia. The London gallery programme will encapsulate Addis Fine Art’s commitment to heightened international exposure for, and critical reappraisal of, African art on the world stage. The gallery’s Addis Ababa space will continue to be an incubator for emerging talent, facilitating critical engagement within the local market and encouraging the growth and development of the artworld ecosystem on the continent. The gallery will also serve as a space for artists from the diaspora to return to the continent and share and develop their practice.
Addis Fine Art
21 Eastcastle Street
London W1W 8DD
© 2023 Addis Fine Art
Credits: Ikenna Malbert
All images © 2023 Dawit Adnew
Text © 2023 Ikenna Malbert
Artwork and studio photography: Lucy Emms
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Addis Fine Art
Designed by Lucy Harbut
