Painter Solomon Kifle graduated from Alle School of Fine Arts and Design in 2017. He is a full time studio artist. He founded Addis Street Art Foundation, which has been working on street art for four years now.
“We come up with street arts either of our volition or from the support of others. We started it with conviction. Then artists and other individuals have been joining the confluence and now more people are interested to team up with our foundation,” Solomon stated.
Over 30 artists team up with the Foundation on street art but the major organizers and permanent executives of the foundation are two devoted painters. After observing the artistic pieces and successful projects the Foundation has made so far, other artists, who demonstrate keenness, are displaying eagerness to join the foundation. “We will take them on board when we get additional projects get rolling down the road,” he pledged.
Solomon believes that by its very nature street art is a public project. The public see it while driving, waiting for transport and passing by, among others. Therefore it needs meticulousness to prepare the message illustrated in the art piece.
Street art is not confined to beauty since it touches various issues including politics, art, culture, tourism and so on. It has no boundary. One of our objectives while doing this project is to make better street art by collaborating with various partners. Therefore, we cooperated with Italian Cultural Institute and the European Union, Solomon stated.
In the mural we staged in collaboration with the Institute, we have tried to craft paintings that blends an Italian culture with Ethiopian complexion. Thus the foundation is also trying to consolidate cultural cooperation between Ethiopia and the rest of the world, he said, adding the work with the cultural center is part of this ambition.
“We are working with the Institute and European Union in undertaking street art projects as the two organizations are keen to consolidate cooperation between Ethiopia and the community they stand for. Accordingly, we have painted four murals that reflect African union and the EU in concert with other European artists.”
Having this in mind, the current contractors – Addis Ababa City Road Authority, City Culture, Tourism and Arts Bureau and EU have agreed with the foundation to realize the last project comprised of eight Ethiopian painters.
Painter Saron Bogale is a member of the Foundation and one of the leading artist of the project. She said the mural is 8m high and over 10m wide. It is entitled “Andinet Yaberal” which means unity glistens. It rams home a message of togetherness for a fruitful result or impact.
According to her, the artists applied oil and spray paints and wall colors to ensure the endurance of the art work expected to convey long lasting message without fading. The message artistically illustrated in the mural is spelled in geez alphabet.
“We have used spray paint, and normal wall colors. Actually there is shortage of spray paints in our country. However we have made this project with the finest spray paint with the support of EU. That is why we completed it within a short period of time than the previous ones that took a week due to material shortage.”
Elaborating about the color and font choice to illustrate messages in the project, Saron said her team had tried its best to make it appealing by meticulously selecting the fonts, colors the letters and the background. “We have also tried to use Ethiopian complexion that our legendary painters had been used to impersonate their characters with the culture and style of the people. This fine tunes this global art with our local thought in a modern way”. The foundation has also planned to advance this by expanding various street art projects that carry across positive messages in a refined and artistic way in various public areas.
“We have finished this work within five days struggling against technical and environmental hurdlesd as well as negative comments,” as to Solomon. In this regard, the foundation had faced various challenges while carrying out the project. Though we were undertaking the project with the consent and support of the pertinent government bodies, many people including politicians, police officers and others were dampening the mood of our artists unduly asking about what they were doing and as to what the meaning of the paintings are, according to Solomon.
In addition, he noted “some individuals acerbically hinted to us that the art work doesn’t that much represents the culture of Ethiopians. However, we believe that we are doing great in illustrating our culture, beautifying the city and conveying positive messages simulteniously. We are doing our best in rendering the city an upscale one comfy to relax and to refresh the mind of residents.”
For Solomon, it takes time to convince the people about the value of street art. It may be due to the strangeness of the art in our country that forced some individuals reflect defiance to the project. Some passersby consider it as a lavish thing.
“The public has poor understanding about street art but we have to continue undertaking this art so that we will upturn this thought in the long run. I hope they will accept it when they get more exposure to it. We will continue making street art in the country since our motto is “Coloring Ethiopia”, he noted.
Addis Street Art Foundation has an ambition to commence a street art festival in Ethiopia to tap on the back many artists. The nation is progressing in many sectors, and new sporting, dancing and other cultures are mushrooming. So, everyone should manage his/herself to align with the new normal but without losing its base. That is how the foundation planned to ripple the street art countrywide by addressing shortfalls and strengthening strong sides,” he said.
According to Solomon, despite its unfamiliarity in our country, street art is being entwined with tourism. There is a street art tour in other countries for both local and foreign visitors. It can be harnessed as a prelude to inspire visitors getting deep into the city’s appealing areas. The street art project at the Pushkin Square implemented by the foundation is a good platform to Ethiopia to publicize city’s colorfulness.
The spot proves magnetic for its stunning paintings. As such it has a sought-after backdrop for camera shots including video , said TikToker Amar Yasin who paid homage to the Square recently to take a video for his 3000 followers. “I have been posting on social medias various short videos with regard to art mainly music clips. I wouldn’t have been here had it not been appealing. Rather I would have been exhausted in search of such an attractive place. Now I am filming a short video using Temesgen Gebregziabher’s song of Siya Siya Bioshe. I hope my followers will love it by far as the scene is so colorful.”
His friend Jemal Hussien was taking pictures to portray them in his photo gallery. “I take pics and it pleases me. And now I have got an amazing background. We came here for the first time. Recently, while we were passing by this spot we got mesmerized seeing artists painting a mural on the wall. That is the reason we are here to utilize the attractiveness of the place to enhance our clip and pic.”
According to Jemal, the mural is by far attractive than the previous colorless and hideous concrete. The message illustrated in the street art that states Selam Lehulum which means “Peace for All” have a soothing effect. A word has a message for the recipient. But this one is uniquely accentuated by additional characters that reflect “what is meant by peace and how can it be achieved?” Therefore, the mural inspires visitors to play due role towards the burgeoning of peace in their motherland. It also attracts tourism to the city since it is magenetizing and spotlights country’s indigenous alphabet and culture.
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD DECEMBER 15/2021
