A review of Nirit Takele’s solo exhibition at Addis Fine Art 💙

Earlier this month, on an evening just like any other, I grabbed my backpack and hopped on the tube to visit Ethiopian gallery Addis Fine Art at their brand new permanent space in Fitzrovia. Addis Fine Art is one of the leading galleries in Africa and one of a handful of Black-owned galleries in London. The gallery boasts an exciting roster of artists and specialises in modern and contemporary East African art, representing and nurturing rising talents from Ethiopia and the global diaspora. This October, the gallery opened its inaugural London show, The Space Between Us, with a series of new paintings by Ethiopian-Israeli artist Nirit Takele.

Bursting with bold colour, the exhibition showcases 14 fresh works by Takele. Inspired by Ethiopian folklore and literature from her childhood, Takele’s large-scale paintings serve as an exploration of her cultural heritage. Born in Ethiopia in 1985, Takele immigrated to Israel in 1991 as part of Operation Solomon, during which over 14,000 Ethiopian Jews were evacuated to Israel in the final months of a long civil war. Takele’s vibrant paintings present a combination of personal and political narratives that reflect upon her community.

Combining flattened forms with varied spatial compositions, Takele tiptoes between figuration and abstraction, resulting in a distinct visual language. Her smooth canvases feature contorted figures that are often entangled with one another, their closeness suggesting a sense of solidarity. Through graphic line work, the artist plays with light and shadow, creating muscled figures adorned with Ethiopian fabrics. 

Although fictional, her figures convey a feeling of intimacy, alluding to shared notions of displacement and a new sense of belonging. “Art, like other visual media, is also a tool of communication. For me, it gives me an opportunity to tell a story from my own perspective, to expand the dark-skinned figure representation,” Takele said in an interview with Artis. With a painterly eye, Takele creates bold and uplifting representations of the Black community.

Moments of stillness and motion collide in these contemplative works, as Takele examines issues of gender and race. Employing loose strokes of acrylic paint and mesmerising colour arrangements, she creates powerful visions of the world around her. Engulfed in energised hues of blue and red, her figures embrace against blocks of vivid colour that recall the mid-20th century Pop Art movement.

In this exhibition, Takele calls attention to the importance of storytelling. Here we witness the artist as she shares a series of works unmistakably made from her own vantage point. Through her dynamic art practice, Takele is contributing to shaping a distinctly Black gaze, carving a space for new narratives that exist beyond popular representations of the Black image.

The Space Between Us champions marginalised voices, bringing together the beauty and complexities of the Ethiopian Jewish community. With an impressive solo show, Takele has earned her title as one to watch. I cannot recommend this exhibition enough, so if you haven’t already, you should definitely visit Addis Fine Art during your next gallery hop!

The show runs until October 30th.