White Cube Gallery Welcomes Ethiopian Artist Tesfaye Urgessa to its Roster
White Cube, a globally recognized art gallery with multiple locations, has officially announced its representation of artist Tesfaye Urgessa. The artist divides his time between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Nürtingen, Germany, bringing a diverse cultural perspective to his work.
The gallery is set to launch Urgessa's inaugural solo exhibition at its Hong Kong space on September 9, showcasing a collection of new paintings and works on paper. Additionally, his 2025 painting, Fiber of grace (Schutz) 2, will be featured at White Cube's booth during Frieze Seoul next month. Urgessa is celebrated for his captivating figurative art, which often depicts Black subjects in evocative poses and settings. These large-scale pieces, sometimes exceeding eight feet in width, originate from drawings on the floor before oil paints are applied to canvas using a long brush, a technique that contributes to their unique depth and presence.
Urgessa's artistic journey began with observing his father recreating church murals. He pursued formal training at the Alle School of Fine Art and Design in Addis Ababa, and later at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Stuttgart, Germany, graduating in 2014 and earning the prestigious Prize of the State Academy of Stuttgart. His career reached a significant milestone with his participation in the inaugural Ethiopian Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale. This exhibition, titled “Prejudice and Belonging,” featured 18 paintings described by Artforum as “scenes of lost, anxious domesticity, where lean, fragmented bodies flash with bold strips of color on angular sofas and carpets.” Urgessa views these works as an invitation for viewers to engage in self-reflection, confronting their own biases and interpretations. Following his success at the Venice Biennale, Urgessa held a solo exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich, England, in 2025, and his first solo museum show in Asia is slated to open at the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing on August 9. His works are part of esteemed collections including the Brooklyn Museum, the Castello di Rivoli in Turin, and the Uffizi Galleries in Florence.
Ikenna Malbert, an associate director at White Cube in London, shared with ARTnews that “Urgessa’s distinctive figurative paintings expertly blend Ethiopian and European art historical traditions to forge a truly singular artistic style.” Malbert added, “His art addresses critical contemporary issues such as migration, family, community, and an increasingly turbulent socio-political landscape. This synthesis of diverse art histories to create a fresh visual language deeply aligns with White Cube’s broader artistic mission. His work offers a profound reflection on the human condition, inviting contemplation and dialogue that transcends cultural boundaries and encourages a deeper understanding of shared experiences.