Dawit Abebe (Ethiopian, born 1978)
X Privacy 33, 2016
Signed ‘signature 2008’ (lower right)
Mixed media on paper
140 x 100 cm

Ksh 650,000-850,000
(US$ 6,000-8,000)
Bought in

Provenance: direct from the artist

Dawit Abebe’s new, poetic drawings from his X Privacy series depict figures looming dramatically over urban settings. In his surreal rendering of the body navigating its modern surroundings, Abebe reflects on the effect of technological development and surveillance on human interactions and traditional societal values.

Abebe graduated from the Addis Ababa University School of Fine Art and Design with a Diploma in Painting, Sculpture, Graphics, Photography and Industrial Design. Since 2001, he has been a member of the Habesha Art Studio in Addis Ababa.

Abebe’s solo presentations include Background 2, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, 2015 and X Privacy, Alliance Ethio-Francaise, Addis Ababa, 2012. Group shows include Pangaea: New Art from Africa and Latin America, Saatchi Gallery, London, 2015 and the touring exhibition Silver Sea Cross-Ship, 2013-2014, as well as the display of the Habesha Art Collection at the National Museum in Addis Ababa, 2014, along with exhibitions in France, the UAE and the USA.