Merikokeb Berhanu Untitled XCVII, 2024

Untitled XCVII is an acrylic painting on canvas.

The vertical forms that comprise the lower third of the painting are fundamental to Merikokeb Berhanu’s visual language, reminiscent of the upward growth of humans or saplings bursting skyward through the earth's surface from a subterranean realm. Nestled just above these is a sprouting mass of red bulbs that can be read as plants, capillaries, or a womb. The planetary circle in the upper center of the canvas represents a celestial body, and has a portal-like spiritual energy to the way it hovers at head level.

The work speaks beautifully to Merikokeb's fascination with the universality of organic forms on every level from the micro to the macroscopic while also speaking to the connection between earthly life forms and the cosmos. While certain forms—such as the red bulbs or the moon-like sphere in this work—are recurring symbols throughout her practice, Merikokeb feels strongly that her paintings should be left open to the interpretation of the viewer, and felt deeply on a spiritual and emotional level that transcends verbal explanation.