RE:PUBLIC (June 2019)

Curator

Circle Art Gallery, Nairobi

Through a combination of painting and ceramics, this exhibition explores the socio-political landscape of Ethiopia and the transformative nature of migration. Robel Temesgen utilizes the motif of the jebena (Ethiopian coffee pot) to interrogate boundaries, dysfunction, and the "unstable ground" caused by rapid urban development, while also highlighting the role of traditional coffee rituals as safe spaces for political discourse. In dialogue with this, Tegene Kunbi’s abstract paintings employ layered color and texture to reflect on cultural duality and the complex rhythms of assimilation. Together, the works examine how tradition, technology, and the digital economy influence individual and collective identities.

The exhibition features works by contemporary artists including Tegene Kunbi and Robel Temesgen.