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4.333

Ale Felege Selam

  • Skill Category: Painters
  • Present Address: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • Country: Ethiopia
  • Social media:

Biography

Ale Felege Selam Heruy (1924 – 11 July 2016) was an Ethiopian painter who played a significant role in the country’s art scene. Born into a family with a tradition of church painting in Fitche, Selale, he later taught himself to draw and paint. Ale Felege moved to Addis Ababa at a young age and furthered his education in technical school. In 1949, Emperor Haile Selassie granted him a scholarship to study in the United States. Ale Felege earned his BFA degree from the Institute of Art in Chicago in 1954. Upon returning to Ethiopia, he became a part of the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts. In 1957, under imperial patronage, he established the Addis Ababa School of Art, which later became known as the Ale School of Fine Arts and Design. This institution was a pioneering venture and the first formal art school in Ethiopia. Ale Felege was instrumental in recruiting notable Ethiopian art teachers who had studied abroad, such as Gebre Kristos Desta and Skunder Boghossian. He was an active member of various art committees and played a vital role in organizing art exhibitions both in Ethiopia and internationally. His artistic repertoire included landscapes, portraits, and murals. Ale Felege also contributed to the design of postage stamps, posters, church paintings (most notably in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa), and illustrations for books. In 2006, at the age of 82, Ale Felege left Ethiopia to decorate an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Maryland. His legacy endures through the institution he founded and his unwavering dedication to promoting Ethiopian art and art education. He passed away on July 11, 2016, leaving behind a daughter, a son, three grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

News / Ranking / Titbits / Awards

Notable wor: Portrait of a man in white (1952), Portrait of a woman (1961), Wall paintings in Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)

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