Merikokeb Berhanu
Born in 1977 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Merikokeb Berhanu graduated in 2002 from Addis Ababa University, Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, with a focus on mural design. Her paintings deftly balance abstraction and recognisable forms, featuring dense backgrounds intertwined with recurring organic elements such as cellular structures, budding plants, and stylised anthropomorphic forms. These compositions explore the complexities of contemporary life, drawing inspiration from both urban and rural landscapes, and delving into themes of rapid urbanisation and the tension between nature and technology. Her recent works incorporate symbols like circuit board patterns and skeletal forms, reflecting on society's estrangement from the natural world.
Merikokeb's works have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide, including: Merikokeb Berhanu, Esther Schipper, Berlin (2025); Twilight is a Place of Promise, Esther Schipper, Berlin (2024); Ethiopia at the Crossroads, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem (2024); A World Grows Within, Addis Fine Art, London (2023); Making Their Mark: Art by Women in the Shah Garg Collection, curated by Cecilia Alemani, Shah Garg Collection, New York (2023); and The Milk of Dreams, 59th Venice Biennale (2022).
Her paintings are part of several prestigious institutional collections, including Tate, London, UK; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA; Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO; Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA (promised gift); Inhotim Museum, Brumadinho, Brazil; and Fondation H, Antananarivo, Madagascar.