--- From the introduction part of the book ---
The cultural development of a society can be fathomed by its traditional artifacts. Thus, its works of art such as paintings and sculptures help to determine the cultural progress of that particular society.
It is possible to evaluate the developmental strides Ethio¬pian art has taken from ancient to modern times. But this becomes feasible only if such works are systematically collected and placed in close proximity to researchers and art critics. There are numerous priceless works of art in monasteries, churches and private hands. However, no adequate research with regard to either the creators or to the meanings expressed has as yet been made.
These short biographical sketches of Ethiopian artists and sculptors, 1869-1957, form a preliminary attempt at a system¬atic study; the book does not go into critical analyses of the works mentioned. It is, however, hoped that organizations such as The United Ethiopian Artists Association, The Ministry of Culture and Sports, and The Institute of Ethiopian Studies, as well as individual professionals, will delve into the matter.
There are a few books, written by foreigners, which tell us that Ethiopian art and sculpture have a long history.
Seyoum Wolde, in Tsedei magazine (Nov. 1976), states:
... Since there is 110 adequate literature available on Ethiopian art, a scholastic work on ancient paintings and sculptures raises heated arguments, thereby making this domain a fertile ground for research.
Therefore, professionals in this field as well as historians have vast research work at hand.
This study concentrates only on the lives and some of the works of contemporary artists. Even then, it deals with only a few of them.
It demanded a great deal of effort even to compile such a short study, particularly when it came to identifying and collecting some of the works, which were scattered every-where.
In Tsedei quoted above, under the title "Artistic Lives of Contemporary Painters", Yigezu Bisrat mentions that the works of Kassa Aregahegn were obviously different from all previous paintings in that they demonstrated a higher standard of creativity. But he makes no mention of the whereabouts of those works, and this hampers research on the transition of Ethiopian art from traditional to modern. Nor have the works of a few prominent artists after Kassa been satisfactorily col¬lected. For example, the fact that the only painting by Agegnehu Engeda available is his self-portrait illustrates the gravity of the situation. This study, however, has attempted to trace the whereabouts of some of the works, nation-wide and world¬wide.
The artists in this study can be classified into two major categories: those who acquired the skill traditionally, and those who attended modern schools of fine arts, in Ethiopia and elsewhere.
The School of Fine Arts, the only art school in Ethiopia, was not opened until 1957. History testifies that artists such as Agegnehu Engeda, Abebe Wolde Giorgis and Alefelege Selam contributed a great deal towards achieving this goal.
The School of Fine Arts was at first started by foreigners, with the exception of Alefelege Selam. But soon the foreigners were replaced by Ethiopian artists returning from abroad after completion of higher studies in the field. Thus, art education began expanding in scope and depth. The school deserves gratitude for its effort, not only in developing art as a profes¬sion, but also for serving as a custodian of some valuable works. Many of these appear in this book, by kind per¬mission.
The contribution of art to the development of a society is of paramount importance. We can learn a lot from the role art has played in accelerating and strengthening revolutionary movements in other socialist countries. Art, in those countries, has now surpassed its aesthetic value in contributing to in¬dustrial development and to the economic well-being of the society in general.
Comrade Mengistu Haile Mariam, Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council and Commission for Organization of the Party of the Working People of Ethio¬pia, and Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army, in his address to the 1980 graduates of Addis Ababa University, said:
It is an established fact that the broad masses of Ethiopia have knowledge and an artistic heritage accumulated for years. But these useful resources have been wasted, due to lack of collecting and organizing them. Since the old is the foundation on which the new is built, the matter needs serious consideration.
(Translated from Addis Zemen, 9 Nehassie 1972).
Hence, the field has a bright future for development in revolutionary Ethiopia. It is high time that all those concerned should join together, and give their time and effort to tracing the past history and channeling the future progress of Ethiopian art. |
