Dawit Abebe – Liminal in the age of Mobile-Ty
Based in his hometown Addis Ababa, Dawit Abebe is a seasoned traveller who draws inspiration from the countries and places he visits. His critical observations force him to try and make sense of contemporary everyday life both at local and global levels. Liminal in the age of mobile-ty consists of seven paintings on canvas. The artist uses the smartphone and social media images and symbols as a starting point to explore the intricacy of human communication aided by advanced technology. He is concerned with what happens in the space in-between when the interaction is erratic and fragmentations and disconnections occur, be it in history, knowledge, time and space. This body of work follows Dawit Abebe’s X-Privacy series from 2012, in which he critically examines the themes of power and individual and collective freedom.
Liminal in the Age of Mobile-ty is the latest body of work created by Ethiopian artist Dawit Abebe during his residency at 68projects in Berlin between October 2017 and March 2018.
Dawit Abebe is known for his large-format paintings on canvas and drawings on paper that explore narratives of history and identity, the notion of knowledge, issues of surveillance versus privacy, and development as opposed to nature and the environment. His work also revolves around the impact of technological transformation in relation to both local and global contexts.
Liminal in the Age of Mobile-ty consists of seven paintings on canvas in which the artist uses smartphones and social media images and symbols as a starting point to explore the intricacies of human communication mediated by advanced technology. Abebe is concerned with what happens in the space in-between—when interaction becomes erratic and fragmentation and disconnection occur, whether in history, knowledge, time, or space.
Mutual Identity is the title of the remaining three works on paper that accompany Liminal in the Age of Mobile-ty. This body of work follows on from Abebe’s X-Privacy series (2012), in which he critically examined themes of power as well as individual and collective freedom.
Dawit Abebe, who is based in his hometown of Addis Ababa, is a seasoned traveler who draws inspiration from the countries and places he visits. His critical observations compel him to make sense of contemporary everyday life at both local and global levels. He is intrigued by the intersection of modern life and tradition and repeatedly questions the notion of knowledge and human values. His work scrutinizes the scale and impact of globalization and technological advancement on developed and developing countries, as well as on individual and collective identities.
Abebe begins with a theme and creates a series of works which then organically become the starting point for his next theme and body of work. Thus, he constantly revisits certain elements that form his artistic vocabulary. His works possess an autobiographical dimension, as his social commentaries stem from his own personal experiences—sometimes as an insider, sometimes as an outsider—depending on where he is situated at a given time.
Dawit Abebe works on large canvases which, once primed, are first collaged with old exercise-book pages bought from Addis Ababa flea markets. He then covers the collage with paint that serves as a background for creating his images. His paintings are therefore layered and textured with meanings that literally go beyond the surface. For the Liminal in the Age of Mobile-ty series, he experimented further by creating a third layer using a white gauzy material onto which, in some cases, he painted an additional image.
Dawit Abebe was born in 1978 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is a graduate of Addis Ababa University, Alle School of Fine Arts and Design (2001). Shortly after completing his studies, he co-founded the collective Habesha Art Studio together with fellow artists. Abebe has participated in numerous group exhibitions and held solo exhibitions in Ethiopia and internationally, including in the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Kenya, the Netherlands, South Africa, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
In Europe, he is represented by Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London. His works are included in major international collections such as the Barjeel Art Foundation, Rema Hort Mann Foundation, Saatchi Gallery, and the collections of Frank Cohen, Carole Server, and Oliver Frankel.
