Fitsum Behre Woldelibanos (Ethiopian, born 1979)
Appearance, circa 2010-2011
Signed ‘Fitsum Berhe Woldelibanos ’ (lower)
Acrylic on canvas
90 x 90 cm
Ksh 200,000-300,000
(US$ 1,870-2,800)
Sold Ksh 410,900
Provenance: private collection
Fitsum Woldelibanos’ vibrant contemporary portraits, which explore the construction of identity and individuality, have gathered an enthusiastic international following. Woldelibanos has developed a highly personal painterly language, using a distinctive palette and gestural application to render his subjects.
He graduated from the Asmara School of Arts in Ethiopia in 2000, and since then has been living and working in Kenya. His work has been exhibited extensively in Kenya and internationally; most recently, in 2015, he held a solo exhibition in Toronto, Canada.