Addis Art Scene

The Hidden Forms

• Featured Artist: Mehari Teshome
• Exhibition Type: Solo Exhibition
• Location: Artawi Gallery (Bole, KKARE HOMES, 2nd Floor, right off Ring Road past Hayat Hospital)
• Duration: May 23 – June 14, 2026
• Gallery Hours: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM Everyday
• Opening Reception: Saturday, May 23, 2026, from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Project Summary
“The Hidden Forms” is a solo painting exhibition by Mehari Teshome hosted at Artawi Gallery. Moving fluidly between the seen and the felt, Teshome’s latest body of work uses form as a visual language to articulate concepts that defy easy naming.
Drawing from years of deep personal reflection and a deliberate return to his earlier academic studies, the paintings investigate presence, perception, and the quiet tension that exists between the physical and spiritual realms. Within these textured compositions, the cat figures prominently—not merely as a domestic subject, but as a watchful, alert symbol navigating the thin spaces between different worlds.

Crossed Realities: Light of Piassa (የፒያሳ ብርሃን)

• Featured Artists: Alazar Taye, Kaleab Amare, and Ermias Mokonnen
• Exhibition Type: Trio Exhibition & Auction
• Location: Bleustudio AA (Ayu Shashe Bldg, 1st Floor, Churchill Avenue, Piassa, Addis Ababa)
• Duration: May 22 – May 24, 2026
Weekend Schedule
• Friday, May 22: Opening Reception starting at 5:00 PM (11:00 Local Time)
• Saturday, May 23: Full Day Open for public viewing
• Sunday, May 24: BunArtTalk + Auction

Project Summary
Following a previous collective project with the Zewari Urban Sketchers, painters Alazar Taye, Kaleab Amare, and Ermias Mokonnen return to Bleustudio AA to present a dedicated tribute to the historic Piassa district. Through their distinct use of color, texture, and light, the trio frames Piassa not merely as a physical location undergoing urban shifts, but as a deeply felt collective memory—a “Sefer” alive with fragmented histories.
In a first-of-its-kind format for Addis Ababa, the project introduces an Exhibition-Auction structure designed to cultivate a fresh dynamic between local artists, collectors, and the public. The weekend concludes with a tailored BunArtTalk and live auction on Sunday, sealing the dialogue between the community and the canvas.

አዲስ MODERN (Addis MODERN)

• Featured Artist: Yohannes Girma
• Exhibition Type: Solo Exhibition
• Location: Creative Hub Ethiopia (Old Post Office, Piassa, Addis Ababa)
• Duration: May 16 – June 14, 2026
• Opening Event: Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• Admission: Free Entry

Project Summary
“አዲስ MODERN” is a solo exhibition by Yohannes Girma hosted at Creative Hub Ethiopia in the historic Piassa district. The showcase positions the older architectural landscape of Addis Ababa not as frozen monuments or simple nodes of nostalgia, but as vibrant, living pieces of collective memory.
By framing these structures as witnesses to time, the exhibition explores the layered and complex truths embedded within the city’s walls. The project brings architectural forms into dialogue with visual media, prompting a deeper reflection on urban evolution, heritage, and identity in contemporary Ethiopia.

Golden Garden

• Featured Artist: Asratemariam Dereje
• Exhibition Type: Solo Exhibition
• Curator: Dagim Abebe
• Location: The Space Ethiopia Gallery, Ethiopost HQ, Churchill Ave.
• Duration: May 16 – June 21, 2026
• Opening Event: Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 3:00 PM

Project Summary
“Golden Garden” is a solo exhibition by artist Asratemariam Dereje, curated by Dagim Abebe and hosted at The Space Ethiopia Gallery. The collection invites viewers into a warm, peculiar atmosphere deeply inspired by the artist’s earliest memories.
The exhibition explores the freedom of childhood playtime, which is mirrored by the appearance of nature in unexpected ways across the works. This sense of play extends into the artist’s physical process, showcasing canvas experimentations and finger painting. Utilizing natural, warm light, the compositions draw distinct attention to rich textures and underlying symbols, offering an immersive journey into a nostalgic and textured landscape.

Ritual of the Divided Witness

• Featured Artist: Surafel Alemneh
• Location: Addis Cinema Complex Art Gallery (Mexico, behind Zemen Bank HQ)
• Duration: May 09 – June 07, 2026
• Opening Event: Saturday, May 09, 2026, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• Contact number: +251 93 807 7729

Come witness the division. Come witness the whole.

Let’s talk about art... (REFRACTION)

• Featured Artist: Prince Merid Tafesse
• Curator & Moderator: Dr. Desta Meghoo
• Location: Alliance Ethio-Française Addis Ababa, Piassa
• Event Date: Friday, May 8, 2026
• Event Time: 4:00 PM

Exhibition Details

• Title: REFRACTION - Solo Mixed Media Experience
• Duration: April 26 – June 25, 2026
• Viewing Hours: 12:00 PM – 06:00 PM (Tuesday – Sunday)

Mundane WAZEMA

• Featured Artist: Hailu Kifle
• Curator: Mifta Zeleke
• Location: Modern Art Museum: Gebre Kristos Desta Center (6 Kilo, in front of Addis Ababa University)
• Duration: May 6 – June 1, 2026
• Opening Event: Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 5:30 PM

Vision of Words

• Featured Artist: Dirk Skiba
• Exhibition Type: A Portrait Exhibition of Ethiopian Writers
• Curator: Dr. Feben Fancho
• Organized By: Asayehegn Asfaw and Dr. Feben Fancho
• Location: Goethe-Institut Äthiopien
• Opening Night: May 12, 2026
• Time: 5:30 PM

Artist Talk with Ashenafe Mestika

• Exhibiting Artist: Ashenafe Mestika
• Moderator: Tamerat Siltan
• Location: Addis Cinema Complex Art Gallery (Mexico area, behind Zemen Bank HQ)
• Date: Saturday, May 2, 2026
• Time: 3:00 PM

Event Summary

The Addis Cinema Complex Art Gallery will host an artist talk featuring Ashenafe Mestika, the artist behind the current solo exhibition “Entangled Stories”.

The discussion will be moderated by Tamerat Siltan, providing an opportunity for the public to engage with the artist’s creative process and the themes of migration, memory, and identity explored in his work.

This event serves as a platform for dialogue between the creator and the community, offering deeper insight into the paintings and narratives currently on display.

Artist Talk: SOLE & SOUL

• Featured Artist: Tesfahun Kibru
• Curator: Dagim Abebe
• Moderator: Gossa G. Oda
• Location: The Space Ethiopia Gallery, Ethiopost HQ, Churchill Ave.
• Date: Friday, May 1, 2026
• Time: 3:00 PM

Event Summary

The Space Ethiopia Gallery is hosting an engaging Art Talk centered on the solo exhibition SOLE & SOUL by artist Tesfahun Kibru. The discussion, featuring curator Dagim Abebe and moderator Gossa G. Oda, will delve into the specific ideas, materials, and artistic processes that define the works currently on display.

In addition to the creative dialogue, this event serves as the official closing ceremony for the exhibition. It offers a final opportunity for the community to witness the art of transformation and explore the concept of “Zigetizm” alongside the creators before the showcase concludes.