DUBAI: The 14th edition of Art Dubai — recognized as the Middle East’s leading art fair for showcasing local, regional, and international artists — is attracting art lovers in the UAE with an in-person fair set to wrap up on Saturday.
Among the participating galleries is Addis Fine Art gallery, which has set up a booth at the event for the fourth year.
The art hub, which is based in London and Addis Ababa, is exhibiting a group show of four artists from across Ethiopia — Tadesse Mesfin, Addis Gezehagn, Tsedaye Makonnen and Tizta Berhanu.
Tadesse Mesfin, Pillars of Life (2021) Oil on canvas, 165 x 170 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Addis Fine Art. (Supplied)
Each of the artists is showcasing new works that explore and document humanity’s adaptability and resilient responses to moments of upheaval.
Gallery co-founder Rakeb Sile said that Art Dubai is one of her favorites.
“It’s the only fair where we get to see galleries from pretty much the global south. It’s a really diverse encounter. Other fairs that we do are not necessarily that diverse,” she told Arab News.
Rakeb Sile co-founded the gallery with Mesai Haileleul. (Supplied)
She believes that putting Ethiopian artists in “that conversation is also important, because it teaches us things that we wouldn’t have necessarily found out just by doing a Western fair.”
Sile launched Addis Fine Art gallery with Mesai Haileleul as a “passion project.”
“It was like, ‘we know this is amazing; why doesn’t the rest of the world know about any of these artists?’” she said.
Addis Gezehagen, Floating City XXIII, 100 x 80 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Addis Fine Art. (Supplied)
Haileleul elaborated on his partner’s words, saying that the art scene in Addis Ababa has “incredible talent.”
“Obviously a lot of people might not be familiar with it. We do not have a lot of galleries there that function and work like Addis Fine Art gallery because it is very difficult,” he said.
“For that reason, artists do not get the representation they badly need. But it’s not for lack of talent. We are there to change that; we are there to help with that.”
