By: Mathew B. Oyedele
This writer cannot but start by
narrating his first encounter with Eyayu Genet’s painting. It was an encounter
of a colourful and intense communication.
On this day, I went through my
notifications, my messages and back to my timeline. While scrolling through my
timeline, a frame of colours hit my retina with a forceful iridescence that
made me pause for minutes; I had stumbled on a painting. I later saved the
painting for subsequent examination and appreciation.
Reading into its iconography was
strenuous but the formal analysis of the painting wouldn’t let you give up on
it. The dominant form in the painting occupies the right side of the frame and
the only vivid image I could see is an image of a head of a cow whose horns reaches
to the sky. There is a house at the left-foreground of the painting that stands
apart from the rest of the images and the interplay of warm and cool colours
offer a perspective visage into the painting.
“In that painting, I am talking about Independence, freedom is an
inborn mentality but many people lose their lives fighting for it”, was the
artist’s response in a conversation that followed afterwards. “I used the small hut as a symbol of freedom
from any oppressing entity”, he continued. He was so grateful that someone could
spend a lot of time appreciating and examining his work.
Eyayu confided that his interest
in art was initiated by a fundamental question, “Does life influence art or does art influence life”? He therefore
explores how the tree stands in silent wisdom, whispering only when the wind
calls, how the river finds its path to the ocean and how the direction of the
wind remain unknown. He then found out that life and art influences each other;
life influences art as art draws inspirations from life and art influences our
mindset, psyche and behaviours.
Born in Durbete, 470km north of
Addis Ababa, Eyayu is of Ethiopian descent. He had his primary and secondary
education in Bahir Dar and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Bahir Dar
University. He joined Addis Ababa University Alle School of Fine Arts and
Design and received his BFA Degree in painting in 2011.
For Eyayu, art combines diverse
things. He employs themes that reflect his immediate environment and borrow motifs
from ancient and modern Ethiopia to create a harmonious environment between the
traditional and modern, as well as the barbarian and civilized. He confessed that art is an integral part of
Africa and is rooted in every facet of African life.
Lake Tana- the source of the Blue
Nile, Ethiopia Dalol and Ras Dashen are historical landmarks and icons in
Ethiopia and Eyayu metaphorically explore these to remind his people of the
need to respect and protect Ethiopian traditions even in a global village where
traditional norms are fading. His determination to echo Ethiopian values and
norms is vivid in his paintings.
The constant presence of cow horn
in his oeuvre is a symbol of victory. Ethiopia and Liberia are the only two
countries that were never colonized in Africa; this, and Ethiopia’s decisive
victory over Italy at the Battle of Adwa in
1889 where Ethiopia secured her sovereignty are the metaphors for Eyayu’s use
of the cow horn as a symbol of victory.
He narrates two experiences that testify
to the responses of people towards his work. The first was when a US citizen
and environmental specialist bought more than seven of his paintings during his
exhibition at Avanti Blue Nile Hotel (currently Blue Nile Resort) in 2015; the
second was when a spectator who could not afford his works was touched by his
exhibited works. He therefore gave him a 100 Ethiopian birr ($23) which Eyayu
refused; the spectator became offended and told Eyayu not to undermine his
gift. Eyayu apologized, and accepted his gift. These experiences motivated him
to challenge himself and have opened doors for other opportunities.
Eyayu has exhibited locally and
internationally and is presently creating a melting pot of arts discourse in
Ethiopia by creating a community of Ethiopian artists through the social media
platform.
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