WOSENE WORKE KOSROF (ETHIOPIAN B. 1950)
Sun Godess IV
signed and dated in English and Amharic Wosene '91 (lower right); incribed, titled, dated (on the reverse)
acrylic on canvas, framed
88 x 85 cm (34 1/2 x 33 1/2 in)

Born in 1950 in the Arat Kilo district of Addis Ababa, Wosene Worke Kosrof was formally trained at the Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts. He completed a BFA with distinction in 1972. Then, as a Ford Foundation Talent Scholar, he was awarded an MFA in 1980 from Howard University in Washington, DC.

Over the past four decades, Wosene (his professional name) is recognised for his signature use of the script forms – fiedel – of his native Amharic as a core element in his paintings and sculptures. This recognisable ‘signature’ emerges from the way he elongates, distorts, dissects and reassembles Amharic symbols – not as literal words – but as images that speak for themselves in a visual language accessible to international audiences. Jazz improvisations underlie his compositions, animating them with rhythmic movements and emboldening his masterful use of colour.