Tibebe Terffa (Ethiopian, born 1948)
Untitled I, 2015
Signed and dated (lower right)
Acrylic on canvas
80 x 100 cm
Ksh 380,000-490,000
(US$ 3,500-4,500)
Sold Ksh 645,700
Provenance: direct from the artist through Addis Fine Art Gallery
Untitled I is an example of Tibebe Terffa’s challenging approach to composition at its boldest. In a flattened manner, he has created an eerily empty landscape torn open by a yellow gash with dark shadows; hinting at the deep abyss that lies beneath the surface.
One of Ethiopia’s most prominent living painters, Terffa’s philosophical approach to painting combines expressions of his everyday environment with traditional and contemporary cultural references to create open, symbolic works.
Terffa studied Painting at the Addis Ababa School of Fine Art, graduating in 1973. He has been a full-time studio artist, working from his home in Addis Ababa, since 1984.
He has had numerous solo and selected group exhibitions in Ethiopia, USA, Spain, Germany and Canada, where he has also taken three artist residencies.