Afewerk Tekle (born 22 October 1932; title: "Most Honorable Maitre Artist World Laureate") is one of Ethiopia's most celebrated artists, particularly known for his paintings on African and Christian themes as well as his stained glass. October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practising the arts and/or demonstrating an art. ... For building painting, see painter and decorator. ... World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second_largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Strictly speaking, stained glass is glass that has been painted with silver stain and then fired. ...

Born in Ankober to his parents Feleketch Yamatawork and Tekle Mano, Afewerk grew up in a war torn country largely occupied by Italian fascists during the Second World War. Following the war, in 1947, Afewerk decided that he wanted to help rebuild Ethiopia and elected to travel to England to study mining engineering. Before departing, Afewerk, together with other students leaving to study overseas, was addressed by Emperor Haile Selassie. Afewerk recalls being told "you must work hard, and when you come back do not tell us what tall buildings you saw in Europe, or what wide streets they have, but make sure you return equipped with the skills and the mindset to rebuild Ethiopia". Ankober is a town of Ethiopia, at one time the capital of the historical Shewa kingdom and later district. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... Mining Engineering is a field that involves many of the other engineering disciplines as applied to extracting and processing minerals from a naturally occurring environment. ... Haile Selassie Haile Selassie (Power of Trinity) (July 23, 1892 – August 27, 1975) was the last Emperor (1930–1936; 1941–1974) of Ethiopia, and is a religious symbol in the Rastafarian movement. ...

Afewerk had already shown talent as an artist as a child, decorating several walls in his home town. Whilst at boarding school in England, this talent was recognised and encouraged by his teachers. As a result, Afewerk was persuaded to switch from engineering and enroll in Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. He then went on to become the first African student to enter the Slade School of Art where he studied painting, sculpture and architecture. A boarding school is an educational institution where some or all pupils not only study, but also live, amongst their peers. ... Central Saint Martins at Holborn The Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, (or Central Saint Martins) is one of the leading colleges of art and design in England. ... The Slade School of Fine Art is an art school based at University College London in the UK. The school traces its roots back to 1868 when Felix Slade decided to establish three Chairs in Fine Art, to be based at Oxford, Cambridge and London—though with only London offering...

Returning to Ethiopia as a university graduate, Afewerk could have accepted an assigned ministerial post, but instead decided to spend time travelling around the provinces of Ethiopia to get more experience of his native country and culture, which he reflected in his paintings. In 1954 he held his first one man show in Addis Ababa, that gave him the funds to travel around Europe for two years where he learnt how to design and construct stained glass windows. He also made a special study on Ethiopian illustrated manuscripts in the British Library, the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris and the Vatican Library. 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the long-distance runner, see Addis Abebe. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Strictly speaking, stained glass is glass that has been painted with silver stain and then fired. ... British Library Ossulston St entrance, with distinctive red logo. ... The new buildings of the library. ... The Vatican Library (Latin: Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana) is the library of the Holy See, located in Vatican City. ...

Back in Ethiopia, Afewerk opened a studio in the National Library of Ethiopia. His growing recognition lead to government commissions for murals and mosaics in St George's Cathedral, Addis Ababa, and several of his designs were used on the national stamps. He was also commissioned to produce sculptures of famous Ethiopians, although on the monumental statue of Ras Makonnen in Harrar was completed. Most notably, in 1958 he designed the stained glass windows in the Africa Hall of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa. The three windows cover an area of 150 square meters, and represent the sorrow of Africa's past, the struggle of the present, and hope for Africa's future. The National Library of Ethiopia, located in Addis Ababa, is the national library of the country. ... Saint-George is a municipality with 695 inhabitants (as of 2003) in the district of Aubonne in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. ... A cathedral is a religious building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic, Anglican and some Lutheran churches, which serves as a bishops seat, and thus as the central church of a diocese. ... Ras Makonnen (May 8, 1852–March 21, 1906) was a General and the governor of Harar in Ethiopia, and the father to Tafari Makonnen, later known as the Emperor Haile Selassie. ... Harar, also spelled Harrar, is a city in Ethiopia, situated in the eastern extension of the Ethiopian highlands, about five hundred km from Addis Ababa. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA or ECA) was established in 1958 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states (the nations of the African continent). ...

In 1961 Afewerk held a major retrospective in Addis Ababa, which led to his painting Maskal Flower being shown at international exhibitions in Russia, the United States and Senegal. Increasing funds allowed Afewerk to travel around the continent of Africa. With much of Africa still emerging from colonialism, Afewerk became fired with black emancipation and the struggles for independence. This is reflected in his paintings of this time, with titles like Backbones of African Civilization and African Unity. 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... It has been suggested that Benign colonialism be merged into this article or section. ... A Masai man in Kenya Black people or blacks is a political, social or cultural classification of people. ... Look up emancipation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In 1964 he became the first laureate of the Haile Sillassie I Prize for Fine Arts. As his reputation spread abroad, Afewerk was invited to put on an exhibition in Moscow following which he toured the Soviet Union giving lectures. The American government responded with an invitation for one man exhibitions in Washington and New York and a similar lecture tour of American universities. Additional international exhibitions followed in Senegal, Turkey, Zaire, the United Arab Republic, Bulgaria, Munich, Kenya and Algeria. 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack... Nickname: Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1625 Government  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area  - City  468. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Munich (German: , pronounced  ; Austro-Bavarian: Minga [1]) is the capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria. ...

Through much of the 1970s Afewerk was engaged in producting murals and mosaics for many public and religious buildings around Ethiopia, including the murual Last Judgement in the Adigat Cathedral in Tigrai. In 1977, his painting Unity Triptych won the gold medal in the Algiers International Festival. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. ...

The early 1980s saw a second major exhibition in Moscow and an exhibition in Bonn. In 1981, his painting Self-portrait was the first work by an African artist to enter the permanent collection of the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Uffizi Gallery (Italian Galleria degli Uffizi) is a palace or palazzo in Florence, holding one of the most famous museums in the world. ... Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ...

In 1997 he exhibited at the Biennale of Aquitaine, France, winning first prize in the international competition. He was also nominated the Laureate of the Biennale which gave him membership of the French International Academy of Arts. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location Administration Capital Bordeaux Regional President Alain Rousset (PS) (since 1998) Départements Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrénées-Atlantiques Arrondissements 18 Cantons 235 Communes 2,296 Statistics Land area1 41,309 km² Population (Ranked 6th)  - January 1, 2005 est. ...

Today Afewerk continues to live and work in Addis Ababa, in his self designed 22 room 'Villa Alpha'.

Notable works

• Ras Makonnen Monument
• Altar cross (1959) at Royal Chapel in the Tower of London, England.
• Murals and paintings at St. George Cathedral
• Maskal Flower (1961)
• The Last Judgment (1970) mural in Adigrat Cathedral, Tigrai.
• The victory of Ethiopia (1979) at the Hero Centre in Debre Zeyit.
• The Chalice and the Cross in the Life of the African People (1997) study for stained glass entered in the Biennale of Acquitaine

Ras Makonnen (May 8, 1852–March 21, 1906) was a General and the governor of Harar in Ethiopia, and the father to Tafari Makonnen, later known as the Emperor Haile Selassie. ... Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is a historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ... Debre Zeyit (also known by its Oromofi name of Bishoftu) is a town in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia, lying south east of Addis Ababa, on the railway line to Djibouti. ...

References

• Tadias online article

External links

• Afewerk Tekle website showing his work and his home and studio at Villa Alpha
• Harlequin-mondial, French dealer handling Tekle's work (warning: shockingly bad flashing text)