馃嚜馃嚬EthiopiaEast Africa
Eyob Kitaba's "Beneath the Roof" exhibition archives a changing Addis Ababa
via The Reporter Ethiopia11 min read
Artist Eyob Kitaba's latest exhibition, "Beneath the Roof," opened on March 26, 2026, at the Gebre Kristos Desta Center, featuring over 70 works that explore the transformation of Addis Ababa. Born and raised in the city's Merkato district, Kitaba's art bridges generations by translating memories of urban life into visual forms. His work, which includes paintings, sculptures, photography, sound, and installations, often incorporates reclaimed materials like corrugated iron, architectural fragments, and everyday objects from across the city. These elements are reconfigured into layered compositions that engage with themes of memory, displacement, and urban change. Kitaba, a lecturer at the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, aims to convey a sense of unease about the rapid pace of change in Addis Ababa, where he observes a "turbulence of destruction and rebirth." The exhibition reflects various periods of urban development and displacement, including relocations due to corridor development projects. Curator Jermay Michael Gabriel notes that Kitaba's use of kornis, a traditional ceiling framework, helps organize and make visible the city's material memory. The exhibition resonates with visitors like Meron Getu, a student who found personal reflection in the art's portrayal of a city in flux. Kitaba hopes to extend the work's life beyond the gallery, integrating it into education to encourage emerging artists to draw inspiration from their immediate environments.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Reporter Ethiopia.
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