Prolific multidisciplinary artist, @Bleustudio AA, Addis-Abeba, Ethiopia

“ Exploring the many facets of a life dedicated to artistic expression and infinite inspiration, Zelalem offers you a glimpse of a multitude of possibilities. Capturing the magic of the moment in each work, Zelalem embraces his artistic destiny with passion and determination. Art is his essence, a vital necessity, an unshakeable force that guides every stroke, every note, every colour and drives him to perpetual
exploration. Carried away by his prolific creativity and the fire of his pure freedom, Zelalem infuses his art with a palpable authenticity. “
– Zelalem Merga, Art Catalogue by Ityopikal

Featured works

Be Like

Always on the quest for new experiments, his creative path is driven by the pure joy of a child, which leads him to explore new combined techniques and step outside traditional conventions. Two black-and-white photos of Basquiat on the eyes of the artist’s self-portrait are a striking symbol.

Samo

This portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat is a tribute to the artist, his transcendent works, and the bold human being that he was. Basquiat has inspired, and continues to inspire, Zelalem with a deep and passionate intensity. In echoes of his idol, Zelalem engages with social issues and emerges as an environmental artist.

Self-portrait

This unique, vibrant blue—the color in which the artist has drawn his own portrait with subtle light features— is his color of choice. The light features are subtle yet enough to convey more than just a pictorial portrait of the artist. In this work, the presence of writing, enhanced by layers and fusion, reveals the essence of the artist.

Famous

Once again, Basquiat appears in a fused portrait with his artist friend Andy Warhol. Zelalem deeply values friendship, and this artwork is a tribute to their bond— and to Friendship itself.

Windows

Window shutters, maps, extracts from school textbooks, paper packaging, newspapers, old photos, frames, pieces of fabric, musical lyrics and extracts from poems find a new stage on which to shine. As an environmental artist, Zelalem is always in a creative approach and nothing is thrown away and everything is transformed in his studio.

Be Like Serie

12 pieces inspired by Be Like.

Painter’s note

As the title suggests, here writing, or the presence of writing, is explicitly embraced as an integral part of the artist’s creative process. In addition, the technique of collage, which is frequently employed by Zelalem, further enriches the work.