Merikokeb Berhanu studied mural design at the Addis Ababa University of Fine Arts and Design. She since went on to set up the Nubia Studio with a group of artists, a dynamic cultural centre in Addis Ababa which has been instrumental in supporting and promoting art practices in the Ethiopian capital.
Berhanu’s work is inspired by the urban and natural landscape of her home town, as well as the deep-rooted traditions of Ethiopian modernist paintings. They feature abstract forms and dense backgrounds, which intertwine with organic symbols such as ripened fruit, blooming flowers and human forms.
MERIKOKEB BERHANU (Ethiopian, b. 1977)
acrylic on paper
Acquired in 2023
