Elsabeth Atnafu: Artist who painted Celebration of Makeda Celebration of Makeda—a series of work devoted to a subject intricately related to ancient and modern Ethiopian mythology—is on display at the Addis Art Gallery in Los Angeles. These are works of Elsabeth Atnafu. Despite the fact that Ethiopian society, like many other societies, historically has not encouraged women to study art or become artists, following the footsteps of her older sister, Kestel Atnafu, a 1964 graduate of Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts, Elsabeth too becomes an artist. In 1960, of the more than 50 artists who established the first Ethiopian Artists club, Martha Nassibou was the only female artist. Other female artists followed her pioneering spirit, slowly but surely. In less than a quarter of a century, successful female artists have succeeded in representing Ethiopian art on an equal basis as male artists. Given the importance and dedication of Ethiopian women to the perpetuation of Ethiopian culture—artistic or spiritual—this is a significant achievement. Elsabeth is one such successful painter who, over the last two decades, has had regular shows in the Americas, proving that art is not the domain of males alone. Elsabeth completed her BFA in 1975 and pursued her MFA in 1994 at Howard University in Washington, D.C., studying and working under the most successful and charismatic African American artists. In 1987, while visiting the United States, I was able to explore the works of prominent African American artists, including the work of Elsabeth that were arranged and catalogued in Alitash Kebede’s place in Los Angeles. Alitash gave me a photo of a tableau by Elsabeth titled The Guardian (1986), which I later posted on my website. In 2003, I saw Elsabeth’s original work at the Smithsonian. Her art covers broad subject areas and can be associated with many things, including race and particularly gender. However, it is futile to try to identify any trace of ethnic iconography on her work—the cornerstone of many non-western artists leaving in the West. While many of her contemporaries artists are trying to get a sense of belonging by appropriating ethnic or the national arts—or even imitating and copying successful artists—Elsabeth does not seem to have the need for this kind of strengthening anymore. In the Celebration of Makeda paintings, the composition and the arrangement of the colors build progressively and are, according to Elsabeth, only a means to an end. Her carefree paintings of the representation of Makeda, dreaming, sleeping, loving and traveling is enclosed by colorful festive atmosphere -reminiscent of the animist practice of the Christian and Muslim Ethiopians. Elisabeth recurring motifs take inspiration from mythical and folkloric traditions and popular holidays. All kinds of plants and flowers—and all kinds of fragrant — ariti, asikuti, damakese, adey abeba are the subliminal concepts that many of Elsabeth’s works illustrate. The concept of the subject matter is there, stuck in her mind, as it is in many generations of Ethiopians. Even without indulging in the historical, archeological, political, and ideological battle surrounding King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, that is Makeda, the paintings depict the worm and happiness and the carnival-type atmosphere that comes with stability. The story of the Queen of Sheba and her visit to King Solomon has incubated for thousands of years as has served as a cornerstone of the mythology in many cultures. Queen of Sheba, is immortalized in the Christian Bible as well as in the Hebrew Bible and the Muslim Koran. In Ethiopia, Sheba is considered one of Ethiopia’s own Queen and is named Makeda. When Makeda heard of the fame of King Solomon, she went to Jerusalem in search of wisdom. The Celebration of Makeda paintings tell the legendary romantic reunion, the story of love and of celebration that further entail a gendered reading. “Solomon meditated in his heart, and he thought: "This woman full of beauty has come to me from the uttermost parts of the earth. Who knows if it be not the will of God that I should have seed of her?" All the flowers are in bloom in meadows and fields, birds careen through the air, and bees buzz joyously. Musician playing a mandolin like instrument, the donkeys or camels, caravan of the Queen chariots, animals her means of transportation—the beasts of burden, seen here and there treated like pets. Solomon touches Makeda, tricked and persuaded her, as he did her maid. The relatively horizontal placing of Makeda throughout many of the paintings suggests she is stretched out in a posture of submission. Cagulasi yabbal zare, cagulasi yabbal zare - birambar seberelewo, birambar seberelewo and so goes the song of the celebration even without a wedding ceremony. “Now as the King was sleeping he had a vision. He saw a dazzling sun which came down from the heavens and shed its rays upon Israel. This brilliancy endured a certain length of time, and then the sun moved away. It stopped in its course over Ethiopia and it seemed that it was shining there for centuries.” The love borne of this union made something serious happen. Makeda returns to her country with a ring from the King. “Take this ring and keep it as a token of my love. If thou shouldst ever bear a child this ring will be the sign of recognition. If it should be a son send him to me. And in any case may the peace of God be with thee.” This generalized and subjective interpretation alone will not sum up Elsabeth concept of the Celebration of Makeda. The question is why did Elsabeth pick this subject? Does it have anything to do with tale of the Kebra Negast? Probably not, my initial answers include that artistically they are an attempt—a successful attempt—on her part to transform the traditional as well as the modern painting representation of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Although she has had numerous successful shows over the last 20 years and in her outlook, demeanor, and dress, she is a stereotypical art-world insider, she has embarked on her artistic adventure from a different angle. Just like the outsider artist, Elsabeth paints for her sense of liberty. This is probably what helped her paints directly from her librated joyful feeling— doodling, drawing, scratching and painting —without conformity or inhibition. By identifying the most essential difference between art and reality, just like many non-western artists do before industrial revolution strikes and the modernists in the last century, in the Celebration of Makeda she claims her artistic sensibility and identity. Yet more importantly, by painting Celebration of Makeda, she seems to be making an allegiance—not to the tale of the Kibra Negast, her national or racial identity, which in any shape or form separate her from the community, but more so to her female identity. Elsabeth, who left her own country when she was a teenager, is most at ease in being a female artist. Her Celebration of Makeda, I suppose, adopted as a symbol of female power intended as an empowering artwork that liberates those who have been intimidated for so long by sexism including “isms” of any kind. By: Esseye Medhin, October 28, 2006