Selamawit Gebretsadik
The Winter Bride
When life awaits, seems unsuitable; the white gown veil feels like a mourning cover.
2024
Oil on Canvas
74 cm x 84 cm
$1,200.00
Stolen Innocence
As a society we failed to protect the innocence of your youth. By subjecting them to the horrors of violence and civil wars. We fail to realize our young people are not only our future but also our potential saviors.
2023
Mixed media
120 cm x 120 cm
$2,000.00
Artist Biography
Selamawit G.tsadik was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Despite obtaining a BA in accounting (2006) and an LLB (2010), she found herself drawn to fine arts and graphic design and took a short-term art training (2014) while working as a social worker and accountant, though she knew that her true calling lay in her art. However, like many Ethiopian families, and also the society she grew up in, had made it clear that the priority is to be employed first, and her art took a backseat for a long time. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic provided her with an unexpected opportunity to focus on her artistic endeavors. She said, “It took me literally years to be where I am today, to believe in myself and my art.” I studied and experimented with art to make up for the lost time while I was away from it. I never want to let it go”. Her leaf patterning technique reflects her conscious and unconscious exploration of her own world. Showcasing her unwavering belief in herself and her art, which led her to notable achievements, including organizing three consecutive solo exhibitions from 2021 to 2024, designing the concept art for the “Selome Talk Show,” and having her artwork displayed at the Ethiopian Ministry of Health office.
Artist Statement
In my work, I use oil color on canvas as a medium. I aim to explore the often overlooked significance of leaves, drawing a parallel to the underappreciated voices of women and children in my society. To me, leaves represent life, “a moment.” Within each piece I create, there is a calling to explore and understand the female experience; “The need to just exist; to be somebody; to have a moment and what comes after.” I don’t want to believe the once we have lost through violence is just gone. They matter to me! Those whom I know of and for those whom I don’t know, I dedicate my single leaves by saying you matter and hope you will be reborn.
As an artist, my inspiration comes from my experience teaching art to children and working as a social worker. When I create artwork, I aim to capture the spoken or unspoken truths of the women and children I have encountered. The young leaf represents children, and the black leaves represent I and every faceless black woman who has questioned, challenged, struggled, and resisted the system. With the flowers, I aim to ensure that resistance will bear fruit and reproduce. The black rose symbolizes my hope for the most beautiful and self-protected future generation. Women have the power to learn, teach, question, and evolve, so let us be. We must realize that values cannot be created through law, and practices are not easy to change.
Solo Exhibitions:
– The Addis Ababa Museum: The Life of a Leaf Nov 2021
– The Addis Ababa Museum: The Golden Leaf June 2022 with Media coverage of VOA Amharic, Ebs TV, Afrihealth, TV, and Awash radio.
– Fendika Cultural Centre: The Whisper of the leaves April 2024.