Maranata Tegegne is a filmmaker, mostly known for his collaborations with Ethiopian rap sensation Kassmasse. He also runs a successful Afro-Caribbean, restaurant Shifta, and a recording /artist management label, Meedo Records. His story began with a curiosity for films, music and music videos. Which later evolved to a full-fledged success story.
Girum Mezmure is often labelled as a pioneer and a positive driving force in the Ethiopian music industry. During a career that extends over two decades, the musician has been known to experiment and explore uncharted territories. He is credited with reviving live music and the Ethio-Jazz genre. In addition, he has mastered a diverse set of traditional and non-traditional instruments. He currently teaches at Yared Music School and Jazzamba Music School.
Endeguena Mulu, aka Ethiopian Records, is one of the leading lights in Ethiopia’s burgeoning electronic music scene. Sometimes using nothing more than a computer, Ableton software, and a Push controller, he makes music inspired by traditional music from all over the country and the continent.
የኢትዮጵያን ሪከርድሱ እንደገና ሙሉ በማበብ ላይ ለሚገኘው ኤሌክቶሮኒክ ሙዚቃ ብርሃን ይዘው ከመጡ የሙዚቃ ሰዎች አንዱ ነው። አንዳንዴ ኮምፒወተር ላይ አቤቶን የተባለ ሶፍትዌር እና ፑሽበተን በመጠቀም ብቻ በሀገሩ ባህል እና ትውፊት ላይ ያተኮሩ ሙዚቃዎችን ይሰራል።
Music managers are a central part of any healthy music industry. They wear multiple hats, all to ensure a happy marriage between the musician, the audience and the industry as a whole. But how do they operate in Ethiopia? What role do they play?
የሙዚቃ ማኔጀር የጤነኛ ሙዚቃ ኢንዱስትሪ ማገር ነው። የነበሩት ጠላቻዎች ያሳዩት በሙዚቀኛው ፤ በአድማጩ እና በኢንዱስትሪው መሃል ወዳጅነት እንዲደረጅ ማድረጋቸውን ነው። ግን ኢቲዮጵያ ውስጥ እንዴት ነው የሚሰሩት? የሄዋን ገብረወልድ ማኔጀር የሆነው አዚዝ ይማም ስለስራው እና በዛ በኩል ስላለው የሙዝቃው ኢንዱስትሪ መልክ አጫውቶናል።
Part of what makes the local music industry challenging is the lack of spaces where artists can fully commit to their art. If there are spaces available, are they accessible and affordable?
የሀገራችንን የሙዚቃ ኢንዱስትሪ ከሚያዳክሙ ነገሮች ውስጥ አንዱ አርቲስቶች ሙሉ ጊዜያቸውን ሰተው መስራት የሚችሉባቸው ቦታዎች እጥረት ነው። ቦታዎቹ ቢኖሩ ራሱ ተደራሽ እና ባለ ተመጣጣኛ ዋጋ ናቸው?
Launched in September 2019, Agelgil Studios is an Ethiopian record label focused on discovering, empowering and managing talented Ethiopian musicians and producers of all styles of music.
በፈርንጆቹ 2019 የተጀመረው አገልግል ስቱዲዮ፤ወጣት ሙዚቀኞችን ማውጣት ፣ አቅማቸውን ማጎልበት እና መወከልን አላማው ያደርገ ኢትዮጵያዊ ሙዚቃ አሳታሚ ነው። የድርጅቱ መስራች ናሆም ሙሉጌታ ከኢትዮጵያ ሙዚቃ እንዱስትሪ አንፃር የሚኖረንን አንዳምታ አዋይቶን ነበር።
“What the wise awakens to” is a short animation film made from individually hand-painted frames.
The narration of the film is based on the famous allegory of the cave from the Republic. The allegory of the cave as an archetypically structured story has a lot of similarities with other similar myths and stories on the same subject. For instance, with the life of Buddha from the east.
somewhere, a woman wraps a thin black see-through fabric on the twin buns of a girl seated underneath her feet.
somewhere in time, an empress extends her hand for a gursha at a banquette.
a spell is cast.
somewhere, a dark reddish paste forms as the chopped tuber of ensosila cooks on a coal stove.
While the art of traditional fashion design has remained alive in Ethiopia, it has remained in the traditional space. For the most part, it’s still not something you wear every day and even in those instances, the overall design of the clothes we see today isn’t innovative. To find out if the industry has evolved and how it has evolved we went down to see SewaSew Design, a family-owned and operated fashion design studio that is doing interesting things in the Ethiopian fashion world.
Yikunoeamlak is a graphics designer and architect based in Ethiopia. He began his creative work at the EiABC in Ethiopia, where he graduated with an architecture degree. He is currently running a business, Ge’ez fonts. This business focuses on modernizing and diversifying Ethiopian visual art in the digital world with a special focus on typography. The Getz Team reached to Yikunoamlak to find about more about him and the work he does.
My work is greatly inspired by the two cultures I come from. My mother is from Jamaica, and my father is from Ethiopia. I am inspired to tell the stories of the histories of both ancestries. I do so mainly through my films, combining folklore with real histories through animation.
This is a film that took me nearly ten years to make due to the research and also the slow process of financing a feature film. The film looks at the Red Terror only through the stories and memories of women. I felt that historical content in Ethiopia is dominated by the perspectives of men and I wanted to provide a different approach. I think that it is important to look at multiple sides of a story.
As most of the creative people working in the industry, I am self-taugh. My teacher was the Internet and other “creatively sourced” inspirations. Filmmaking is not something you master by reading. It’s in the name itself: Film-Making. You need to make films to learn more and be better. It’s not a stagnant education, you keep learning as you go.
Filmmaking is very therapeutic and entertaining for me, I found it to be a very infinite hub to my skills, potentials, passions, and interests as well. Even though situations aren’t convenient at the moment, it’s up to us to work hard and to better the Ethiopian Film Industry. Especially since we have many untold stories that are very important and interesting to watch.
Felek is an artisanal brand that aims to tell the story of Ethiopia’s rich history of producing handmade notebooks with their products. In a country that has one of the oldest illustrated bibles in the world, it’s a crying shame that the art is close to lost. Sure it’s preserved but is it updated? That’s what Suleiman and his team of creative artisans are trying to solve.
The first Tibeb series we did with Tibeb Online was themed ‘Le Jardin’ which means ‘the garden’. The concept revolves around the confection of an in-house scenery to nurture positive feelings, creativity, motivation, and happiness especially in times of crisis such as the global pandemic we are currently experiencing.
I believe that social conversations and art should complement one another. In some ways, an artist’s perspectives are molded by their environment both in changing and appraising them. Core values of people from different walks of life are understood through social conversations held in different settings and different times. This is what allows art to blossom.
Most of my personal photography is inspired by social issues. I first chose photography as my medium because my camera was the most accessible tool available to me, but as I learned more, I started to realize how powerful it was as a tool to tell people’s unique stories.
Currently, I am a full-time studio artist. The main reason I chose this medium is to narrate my contemporary observations to my audience who share my time and to the future generation. I record the present and hope to transform tomorrow through the arts. The inspiration for my art comes from my life experiences ( daily life) and current situations. Art makes it possible for me to frame my observations.
I try to tell stories inspired by things I relate to myself. There are times where I go back to some specific moments and feelings before making the art. I also get inspiration from movie scenes and some other artists work.
One of the common things that are experienced almost collectively by everyone right now is a seemingly (we hope) unending anxious state of will we be back to normal and what is normal exactly?
Originally, the du-rag was the headgear worn by poor laborers and slaves in the 19th century. During the Black Power movement — a political movement that emphasized racial pride and economic empowerment in the late 1960s — the du-rag was revived among African Americans, particularly rappers, athletes and young men. Eventually, the du-rag evolved into a hairstyle preserver.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been reaching havoc across the world businesses and governments have been scrambling to cope with the effects of the pandemic. In the midst of all this, smaller but bolder initiatives have been arising and giving way to a certain brave stance against a humongous threat and coming up with feasible solutions that will end up saving lives.
Some businesses are doing their part to highlight the battle against COVID-19 and each have approached the matter in their strength. That strength in Sabegn is in their motto “Crafted in Ethiopia”.
My passion for photography was sparked by my late uncle who was a portrait photographer. While he was alive I used to go to his studio and observe him. In 2016, I decided to pursue photography professionally and began teaching myself how to take memorable photographs.
A lot of things inspire me, like human psychology and emotions different states of human joy, happiness and etc. I take inspiration from other artists as well, like Jean-Michel Basquiat, his art has this raw feel, you can see shades of that in my art. I also took pages from DaVinci, he really respects the art he practices and give it the time it deserves.
Is an animated sitcom movie, that is created by me, the story involves around six family members father Dashe, mother Ete, daughter Derry, son 1 Enkush, son 2 Ekuye and house maid Bilcha. We wrote their stories based on many Ethiopians. The family represents the average Ethiopian family. It’s not all laughs and fun, we also discuss important issues about racial differences, children going to school, women rights and other messages that can teach while entertaining. Mender is going to celebrate the many cultures of Ethiopia
We are Dot Advert, an advertising company established in 2016, with the vision of enhancing the art of advertising. Dot Advert was founded by a team of four architects – Binyam G., Biruh T., Etana A. & Joseph D. Early on from school days, we were fascinated with art and found ourselves taking different art classes. We also used to experiment with different graphic design software.
The general objective of my projects in this digital paintings was to explore and study about mainly the impacts of color in the digital medium in evoking emotions.
I consider myself as a self-taught artist with some knowledge gained from Art academies. I am highly inspired by the beauty of African ethnic elements such as adornments and symbols which I incorporate in to my artworks. In addition, I also started to use my artworks to represent social issues especially those issues that are a challenge to women in our society. I have been administering my social media page by the name ‘kuku’s pencil’ and using it as platform to share my artworks for the past four years.
My name is Kunjina Tesfaye, founder and CEO of KUNJINA. I did my bachelor’s degree in construction technology and management at EIABC, Addis Ababa University. Since i was young, I loved fashion and not only wished but knew deep down that I was going to become a fashion designer one day.
The main themes in my work are femininity, motherhood, and parenthood. I draw people and moments that touch or touched my heart, such as gestures of the affinity between mothers and their children, families, and friends. The starting point for my works generally is a person I am close to, but as the process progresses, the specific identity of the person is slightly obscured in order to emphasize the movement and rhythm that are created.
My name is Diana Tekleab. I am a Designer and a 4th Year Architecture student. Also, the founder and designer at inkDin Handmade. I specialize in pattern design and art pieces. The pattern design includes Mandalas and Zen tangles. Mandalas as I define them are shapes filled with patterns. They associate with meditation, balance, and harmony; of patterns, lines and shapes.
My name is GEREMEW TIGABU, a passionate street photographer based in Addis. I believe that the streets of Addis hide many secrets waiting to be scavenged. This passion has led me to present what I love at the Addis Foto Fest 2016, become one of the winners at the 2017 “celebrate Africa photography competition”. My work was also published on the guardian.
My works generally revolves around, how the certainty of representation relates with the ever changing and dynamic human reality. In the broader sense, representation can be understood as creating a correspondence between the nature of a subject represented and that of the medium employed. The correspondence theory of truth was also one of the well-articulated subjects in modern philosophy.
Abyssinia Design is a team inspired by the culture of Ethiopia and Africa. We like to combine mainly the color, typography, patterns and much more and create unique designs. Our designs mainly focus on minimalism, because when a design is not overcrowded the audience tends to be more receptive.
A Pure obsession with a daily thought process, ” Observe – Think – Create “, constant inspirations, unrestricted intellectual curiosity, and the urge to live within & solve problems are the motives that guide us both as individuals & as a studio. Questioning the default, challenging assumptions are common phrases you hear flying over at Kuncho.
Photography to me is the art of preserving life; moments captured in a photograph are perfectly preserved while all-else wallows in constant flux. The range of emotions a single photo can radiate is inspiring. I use my photography to tell stories that I feel strongly about.
I like to describe myself as an apparel entrepreneur, a fashion designer, a creator of active customer experience, a business woman and a feminist activist, communicating my message through my designs.
As a child, I was a bit difficult because of my curiosity to find out how things were made or become what they are, which usually ended up with me destroying stuff or trying to put things together. This part of me along with my obsession with art made me who I am today.
Inspiration comes from a lot of places and people for me. But If I had to pick my biggest inspiration it is my mother. I grew up watching my mom give up so much but find her calling. And through the process she never once showed sadness or regret.
In Addis, we share spaces with strangers as well as close acquaintances – each with their own understanding and requirement for privacy. Taking the public transit area, specifically the blue mini bus taxis, as a basis for this installation we observe how people behave differently based on the amount of space they put between themselves and others. PROXEMICS, as an attempt to interpret the spatial divide at play across the city, also emphasizes the need to mediate between the dichotomies created through space: visible – invisible, public-private.
As a Muslim woman, I grew up in a community that was conservative and focused on design that is often mute. I felt, that there could be a way in which we can make and follow trends, whilst staying true to the culture. In this way, I draw my inspiration from Islamic patterns, which often lean towards geometric shapes and patterns.
Binyam W. Adenew a CG artist and ASTU Bachelor’s degree graduate majored in architectural engineering. Currently working on visual arts and trying to express ideas and stories through paintings, sculptures… I chose this medium because it aligned perfectly with my skills and it allows me to tell stories and give flesh to moments that are meant to be
narrated.
Zoma Museum is a dream come to life for architects, artisits and anyone that loves the relationship Art has with nature. Imagine walking in a space and being hit with both the art in architecture and nature. Inspired by the timeless and structurally sound vernacular architecture of Ethiopia and other parts of the world, Zoma is named after Zoma Shiferraw, a young artist who died of cancer in 1979.
My creative process come in the form of circumstances & aesthetics. The balance I try to incorporate in my life throughout the day drive me to think of different mediums. The clothes I make come from the colors that reflect my thoughts.
My creative process starts with an idea (I run it by a couple of my friends for feedback). I usually try to say something with my images so I want to ensure that my message transfers.
I consider myself to be one of those unlucky individuals born on planet earth (unlike superman) without any innate abilities. It took a lot of sitting in front of the computer and just trying everything until something stuck. Though luckily I did get a massive dose of design skills while taking up architecture at school. They say architecture is the Godfather of all art and I have been blessed with all that it had to offer.
Tibeb is the name given for traditional Ethiopian textile patterns that are hand woven by skilled people. It also translates to wisdom. We make leather goods that are influenced by Ethiopia’s rich history of craftsmanship. Incorporating the skills our ancestors used to weave history into the very fabric they wore.
Growing up I was an introverted kid and I used to spend my free time watching films and day dreaming about Hogwarts. This has made my inspiration catalog super disjointed and unrelated.
I get my inspirations from Hollywood movies, Games, Disney and Pixar Animations they are the best in what they do so i have to learn from the best to be the best artist. I’m very interested in CGI, VFX & Animation.
From our history, we have learnt that the hard working society during the periods 1th-4th century BC, 8th, 10th, 11th ,12th,15th , 16th and 17th century BC already set very high standards in the architectural design and the creative world.
I have always been inspired by realism and minimalism; I don’t know why but I lean towards these styles.
I find myself being inspired by everything around me, particularly in everyday situations and conversations.
Inspiration comes in many forms, sometimes I research other times my personal interests transform into inspirations. After identifying my focus, I slowly start to develop an idea of how much time I should invest.
Freelancing in Ethiopia is often misunderstood. It’s fairly new (compared to other countries) and painted with one brush stroke. If you’re just starting out, here are some things you need to know about the freelancing world.
I think the most important difference between a photographer and anyone with a camera is how one captures a moment vs just taking a selfie. It is how you use your environment to tell a specific story and leave room for interpretation .
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