About Wosene

"In my works, language goes far beyond the literal meaning. As I break apart the Amharic symbols and reshape them as colors on canvas, it's almost like I'm putting them under a microscope, to discover what stories they tell, what secrets they have. They come alive at the tip of my brush, and we speak to each other in their language of elegant and rhythmic lines, circles, and curves."

"As an artist who has worked to move traditions into contemporary art, I see myself definitely as a representative of contemporary art in Africa...I also see myself as an individual, drawing on my culture, bringing my culture to the wider world... I'm simply trying to examine and interpret my own emotional understandings, my feelings, and my spiritual journey, using the Amharic writing as a base."

"I have been working with Amharic calligraphy for many years. In my current work, I take apart the symbols and study their shapes and lines. They come to life and move within the space. They are in everything I see: Beautiful people, graceful architecture, colorful textiles. They are sensuous and erotic. They breathe in the quiet spaces of the canvas. They celebrate rituals: birth, life, and death."