Girmachew Getnet, born in 1980, is an internationally recognized artist from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Shortly after graduating from Addis Ababa Fine Arts and Design School in 2001, he established the first art studio in Addis Ababa, Habesha Art Studio, with four other artists. Ever since, he dedicated his time exploring various mediums and concepts. His artworks are now distinguishable by the materials he uses; large materials with elevated, abstract, evocative, and surreal figures. Girmachew shared his early artworks with; Alliance Ethio-Française, Goethe Institute, Gebre Kristos Center, International Community School, as well as youth projects with UNICEF and Speak Africa. In August 2005, upon invitation from Johannes Gutenberg University, he organized an exhibition titled “Wall and Canvas” on contemporary art and traditional wall paintings from Ethiopia; expounding his medium even further. His art goes beyond painting, he was invited by the Grassi Museum for a solo exhibition where he screened his short film “Free Space” in 2007. Later on, this film screened at different TV channels in Germany and several short film festivals around Europe and Ethiopia. Girmachew’s artistic journey which extends itself through his concepts, practices, and materials, grow from the self to a universal thought approach throughout the years. And this can easily be observed in his solo exhibitions such as; “Mirror” at Kunstverein Familie Montez, “Girmachew” at Gallery ERMITá, “Ahune” at Gallery BRAUCHBACHfive, “My atelier/ My Gedame“ at Gallery ERMITá and “Girmachew” at Gallery DOXA, to his group exhibitions as, “Facing”, Atelier Frankfurt; Blurring the Lines; video Gallery Con (SPACE); “Frische Rheinland-pfälzer Künstler”, Bundesbank; and Lela Gallery, Circle Gallery, CFHILL Gallery to name the few. With his new series, “Circle”, Girmachew has captured the attention of many art critics and collectors such as the Los-Angeles-based dealer, investor, and self-styled art-world disruptor Stefan Simchowitz, with whom he is currently working at the Simchowitz Gallery and Staceybartels Gallery.
