A Chronology of 20th Century Ethiopian Art 1960 Aleka Gebre Selassie Adil paints his most famous work, MOTHER ETHIOPIA.   1960 With the growth in the number of artists and their acceptance as professionals, comes the formation of the first Ethiopian Artists Club. Afewerk Tekle becomes the president.   1960 The first group exhibition, organized by the Artists Club, is officially opened at the Haile Selassie I theater. More than 60 artists participate in the exhibition. Each artist is asked to stay near his work until the emperor has finished visiting the exhibition.   1960 Lema Guya's first solo exhibition is held at the Air Force club, Asmara.   1960 Afewerk Tekle completes his best known work, THE STRUGGLE AND ASPIRATION OF THE AFRICAN PEOPLE on stained glass for Africa Hall. The work is commissioned for the U.N. economic Commission for Africa. The center panel shows a triumphant Africans lead by couple and their child all dressed in their national dresses. The left and right panels show the fight against slavery and colonialism. Afewerk establishes himself as one of the most significant painters in the world.   1960 An Ethiopian arts exhibition travels to Yugoslavia.   1961 An Attempt is made to open the Ethiopian Art Museum, initiated by Lema Guya, a founding member of the Ethiopian Artists Club.   1962 The first annual exhibition of the Addis Ababa Fine Arts School students is held at the school gallery.   1962 Worku Goshu's first solo exhibition is held at the Ghion Imperial Hotel, Addis Ababa.   1962 The Institute of Ethiopian Studies is established. Founded by the famous English scholar Richard Pankhurst, its first curator is the Pole, Stanislaw Chojnacki. It holds religious, folk, and modern art.   1962 1962-1970: Several American Peace Corps instructors teach art in many provincial capitals, such as Dessie, Gondar, Jimma as well as Asmara. Many high schools form Art Clubs where by artistic activities and organizing art exhibitions become Parents Day concern.   1963 An Ethiopian art show travels to Yugoslavia.   1963 Afewerk Tekle paints MOTHER ETHIOPIA, another version of his 1952 painting AIDA. The model is a much younger lady with a modern coiffure, gently holding her sleeping child. The ideals embodied in the work generate considerable debate.   1963 Gebre Kristos Desta's solo exhibition is held at the Addis Ababa Fine Arts School gallery. He is the foremost instructor of the school, and introduces abstract art in all its sophistication and in all its forms.   1964 Girma Gebre paints THE TRAIN, highly acclaimed by his instructors.   1964 Afewerk Tekle is awarded the Hail Selassie I prize for his outstanding contribution, versatility and competence in using a variety of media.   1964 Solomon Belachew paints the LIFE OF ABEBE BIKELA in the folk style of his famous father, Belachew Yimer.   1965 Endale Haile Selassie paints his famous SELF-PORTRAIT.   1965 Belvedere Art gallery, which represents prominent artists like Skunder Boghossian, Daneil Touafe , Zerihun Yetmgeta and other expatriate artists, opens at the center of Addis Ababa, at Ras Mekonnen Bridge.   1965 Gebre Kristos Desta is awarded the Haile Selassie I prize for being ""largely responsible for introducing non-figurative art to Ethiopia.""   1965 Tesfaye Mandefro paints ART, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Tesfaye, a largely self-taught painter, later apprenticed under the famous painter Ale Felege Selam. He commits suicide shortly after completing MOTHER ETHIOPIA. Several of his paintings are now at the Addis Ababa Fine Arts School.   1965 Daniel Touafe's first solo exhibition is held at the United States Information Library, Addis Ababa.   1965 Tadesse Bedasso's first solo exhibition is held at the Yugoslavian Reading Room, Addis Ababa.   1965 Taye Wolde Medhin's first solo is held at United States Information Services, Addis Ababa.   1965 Seyoum Wolde's first Solo exhibition is held at the French Club, Addis Ababa.   1965 Bisrate Bekel's first solo exhibition is held at the French Club, Addis Ababa.   1965 Achamyeleh Debela's first solo exhibition is held at the Yugoslavian Reading Room, Addis Ababa.   1966 After several successful shows in Europe, Skunder Boghossian's first solo exhibition is held at the Creative Arts Center, Addis Ababa University. Stanislaw Chojnacki who attends the opening night, writes: "" Above all he has demonstrated that his long stay abroad did not result in a simple copying of foreign models."" He compares the opening to a premiere in the art galleries of Paris or New York.   1966 Tecola Work Hagos's first solo exhibition is held at Woizero Sehin Comprehensive Secondary School, Dessie.   1966 Elala Ibsa's first motion picture film, HIRUT, WHO IS HER FATHER? is released.   1966 Gebre Kristos Desta paints GREEN ABSTRACT, a series of abstract paintings which reflect his commitment to abstract art.   1966 Ethiopian Artists participate in the first world festival of African arts in Dakar, Senegal.   1966 Kebede Wolde Maryam's first solo exhibition is held at the Ghion Imperial Hotel, Addis Ababa.   1967 Following the show of Gebre Kristos Desta and Skunder Boghossian , a tendency toward abstract expressionism, surrealism and primitivism becomes the dominant movement into the 1970s. The gap between artists trained in the western academic style, and modern avant-garde becomes evident.   1967 Ale Felege Selam, and two members of the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts, Bekrie Abdulahe and Workey Demissie, conclude a meeting which revises the standards for students accepted by the Addis Ababa Fine Arts School. The type of diploma the school will offer is also decided upon.   1967 Yigezu Bisrat's first solo exhibition of his paintings and Calligraphy of Amharic characters is displayed in the Chamber of Commerce Hall, Addis Ababa.   1967 Gebre Kristos Desta paints the SHOESHINE BOYS. The work goes on to inspire Abate Mekuria, the famous playwright, director and friend of the painter, to produce his successful musical drama by the same name(1992), which some say is a tribute to the late painter.   1967 The Haile Selassie I Prize for Fine Arts is awarded to Skunder Boghossian for bringing the linear Ethiopian Christian painting into the modern era.   1967 Painter/poet Gebre Kristos Desta publishes one of his poems, SOUND OF MUSIC, in Amaharic, on The Artists Voice, the Fine Arts School magazine.   1967 Esseye Gebre Medhin's first solo exhibition is held at Woizero Sehin Comprehensive Secondary School, Dessie.   1968 Tadesse Gizaw finishes AQUATIC LIFE, a metal assemblage work.   1968 Skunder Boghossian paints the series NOURISHERS, in which he imbedded several abstract symbols that appear in many of his later works. Sources of his paintings during this period include Christian Ethiopian paintings, African arts, and Talisman. Kifle Beseat, in Skunder: The man and the painter, writes : ""Whether or not one agrees with this cosmological conception of tormented fecundity, it is nevertheless a fact that the painter makes us feel the spiritual and physical pain of birth, by using a series of symbols."" He also quoted Skunder as saying that ""...the problem is not to contemplate a bird's flight, but to fly with the bird.""   1968 Zerihun Yetmgeta finishes his series of woodcuts, PASSION OF OUR LORD, THE CRUCIFIXION.   1968 Afewerk Tekle creates a bronze equestrian statue of RAS MEKONNEN and erects it in the city of Harar.   1968 A Group of fine arts school students, influenced by Gebre Kristos and Skunder, organizes a show at the Creative Arts Center, Addis Ababa University. They employ techniques of the surrealist painters such as decalcomania, frottage and automatism, with pure and vivid color, at times abandoning altogether the traditional paintbrush.   1969 Gebre Kristos Desta paints ORGANIC, one of his best-known works.   1969 Endale Haile Selassie committed suicide. Exceptionally talented as a genre painter, he has worked with Skunder Boghossian, Tewodros Tsege Marqos and Zerihun Yetmgeta, all of whom have a tendency to experiment, rationalize and philosophize to achieve a specific artistic solution.   1969 Bealu Girma publishes Kadmas Bashager.   1969 Tibebe Terffa's first solo exhibition is held at the Ras Hotel, Dire Dawa.   1969 Tecola Work Hagos, self-taught artist and a lawyer by profession, paints THE ETHIOPIAN, notable for its romantic and dignified appearance. Later it will generate discussion as to whether or not it represents all Ethiopians.