(Press Release)- For the month of June, Addis Ababa’s St. George Art Gallery hosts renowned painter Daniel Taye, in the New Project Studio at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, located 11 kilometers / seven miles outside of Washington, D.C. in the United States.
Once named by CNN as the “Van Gogh of Africa,” Taye traveled from Ethiopia to participate in this month-long residency. His work has been shown at St. George Art Gallery for more than 15 years and some of his work is on permanent exhibition.
“I praise the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s collaborative energy and inclusiveness to engage with us as we highlight Daniel Taye, one of Ethiopia’s leading artists,” said Saba Alene, owner of St. George Art Gallery. “People now have a unique opportunity to personally meet and interact with an Ethiopian contemporary artist. This partnership will highlight the hidden beauty of Ethiopia to the Alexandria community, exposing its modern art and culture to the Torpedo Factory’s many summer visitors.”
Taye is known for his evocative landscape and figurative work as he experiments with different mediums, color composition and depth. He has been described as an artist who inspired more puzzled expressions than praise, but his uninhibited flow of thought and rare perspective are ultimately his forte. Taye’s paintings do not fit the usual categories of Ethiopian fine art, traditional religious art, or abstract impressionism, but the strokes and the enchanting color schemes over the canvas bring his work to life.
St. George Art Gallery, which has locations in both Alexandria and Ethiopia, was the first art gallery to open in Addis Ababa and is still considered the foremost gallery in the country. Through the years, it has catered to a number of dignitaries and heads of state over the years, including President Bill Clinton, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Natalie Portman, and Calvin Klein.
Taye grew up involved with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and eventually became a deacon. The church played an important role in his education and was the cornerstone of his formative years. He entered the Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts in the late 1980s, and graduated with Distinction in 1990. He worked on the Gold Mine Documentation Project for the Ministry of Mining until 1993. His art has been exhibited in numerous venues throughout Ethiopia such as the National Museum, Goethe Institute, and Italian Cultural Institute. His work has also been showcased in the United States, Europe, and Africa.
He is spending June working in the New Projects Studio (Studio 8), which is a new endeavor for the Torpedo Factory Art Center that offers a short-term space to test new program ideas, spotlight underrepresented voices, and enhance community engagement. Tenants rotate on a regular basis.
“The New Project Studio is one way that we hope to support new creative collaborations with neighboring organizations and partners,” said Eric Wallner, CEO of the Torpedo Factory. “The goal of any project we host in the space is to inspire the next generation of artists, innovators, arts supporters, and diverse voices. St. George Art Gallery has been a wonderful partner and we are grateful to them for bringing Daniel Taye to Alexandria for this initiative.”
Public Reception
Sunday, June 26
6 – 9 pm
The public is invited to meet Taye and hear him speak about his work during an after-hours reception on Sunday, June 26; 6 – 9 pm. In addition to St. George Art Gallery, the Torpedo Factory will also welcome the Ethiopian Community Development Council, the Ethiopian Community Center of Washington, D.C., the Ethiopian Community Center in Maryland, and the Young Ethiopian Professionals. A speaker from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art will also paint a picture of how Daniel’s work fits into contemporary Ethiopian art. The evening will also feature a sampling of Ethiopian foods and music.
About St. George Art Gallery
St. George Art Gallery opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1991 and was the first art gallery in the city. From the very beginning, the mission of St. George was to promote Ethiopian art and culture and to support artists and crafts people throughout the country. Although there are now many galleries in the city, St. George remains the foremost gallery in Ethiopia and still offers the best in Ethiopian and African art and crafts. St. George Art Gallery of Alexandria opened for business in December 2010 and, like in Addis Ababa, features the best in Ethiopian furniture, art, jewelry, antiques, hand-woven textiles, books, and objet d’art.
About the Torpedo Factory Art Center
Founded in 1974 in an old munitions plant, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is home to the largest number of publicly accessible working artist studios in the U.S. The organization’s mission is to foster connections between artists and the public that ignite the creative spirit. Just south of Washington, D.C., the Torpedo Factory Art Center overlooks the Potomac River in the Old Town section of Alexandria, Va. Each year, more than a half million national and international visitors meet and interact with more than 160 resident artists in 82 working studios and seven galleries. The Torpedo Factory Art Center is also home to The Art League School and the Alexandria Archaeology Museum. For more information visit torpedofactory.org or follow the Torpedo Factory Art Center on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram via @torpedofactory.