On the evening of October 31, the Alliance Française hosted the opening of “A Trip Through Eritrea,” an art exhibition featuring the works of Eritrean artists Tesfay Tekie and Dr. Tajedin N. Yousif. Running for ten days, this collaboration offers visitors a profound exploration of Eritrea’s landscapes and cultural heritage through two contrasting yet complementary artistic lenses. Tesfay’s and Dr. Tajedin’s styles diverge significantly as each artist brings a unique perspective on the Eritrean experience: Tesfay’s art captures the untouched, almost mythical landscapes and seascapes in all their solitude, while Dr. Tajedin’s pieces are brimming with the warmth of human interactions set against historically rich backdrops. Together, they create a narrative that is both introspective and vibrant, as visitors are invited to journey through a land shaped by natural beauty and cultural resilience.
Tesfay’s pieces, described in his artist’s statement as searching for “lost souls,” are deeply introspective. His landscapes exude a sense of isolation that is hauntingly beautiful. His thick brushstrokes capture the unadulterated grandeur of nature – majestic skies, moody clouds, lush hills, and a rugged coastline – but with a conspicuous absence of life: there isn’t a single bird, a stray gazelle, or a trace of human presence to be found. Instead, Tesfay’s canvases are vast, open, and eerily quiet. This absence is a deliberate choice that evokes a sense of mystery, asking the viewer to ponder the depths of solitude that seem embedded within his vision of Eritrea’s landscapes. His subdued color palette, dominated by deep blues and greens with the occasional autumn browns, creates a sense of calm detachment and draws attention to the emotional atmosphere rather than the details, encouraging a contemplative experience where nature stands as a silent, distant observer. Only in Boat at Massawa does the hint of human presence appear, creating a symbolic link to a world both timeless and indifferent to human affairs.
There is something of the impressionist that shines through n Tesfay’s landscapes, not least in the ability to capture light with the thickly applied paint. Look at Fog from Felfel, a sweeping stretch of a formidable landscape, with the grassy expanse at the foot of the mountains taking centerstage, and you’ll notice the sunlight that is caught by individual blades of grass. The same with Shora/ Mangrove, a brief moment by the lake, and Evening, the most vibrant piece in Tesfay’s collection.
Dr. Tajedin’s work, on the other hand, leans heavily into the narratives of people and place, grounding his art in the bustling life of Massawa, Eritrea’s historic port city. In stark contrast to Tesfay’s isolated landscapes, Dr. Tajedin’s pieces are imbued with a sense of community, a human connection to place that reverberates through his canvases. Dr. Tajedin’s paintings pay homage to the rich history and architecture of Massawa, a location that serves as a backdrop for a third of his collection. His work reveres Massawa, capturing its unique spirit and the lives of those who inhabit its streets. His brushstrokes trace what feels like a highly personal impression of the city’s character colored with human interaction and the vivid warmth of cultural continuity. Through his portrayals, the viewer is drawn into the dynamic interplay of community and place where human narratives unfold against the historical foundations of this enigmatic city.
A recurring theme in Dr.Tajedin’s work that is both interesting and arresting is his portrayal of women, grounded firmly by their solid, clearly defined feet while their upper bodies are a haze of movement that is flurry, almost ephemeral. One may surmise that this juxtaposition speaks to the duality of the human experience: while their grounded feet represent stability and strong roots, the more abstract, dynamic portrayal of their upper bodies captures the energy, expression and fluidity of life. This contrast really evokes the balance between being rooted in reality and embracing freedom and self-expression. Massawa 3, a similarly staged composition that perfectly depicts the dancing of the region characterized by swinging one’s head from left to right and vice-versa, making the women’s braids fly around their heads. This painting, in particular, is striking in its power to make the viewer feel a sense of abstraction and familiarity at the same time.
Dr. Tajedin’s Massawa 2 also invokes the painful history of Massawa, with loose, energetic brushstrokes of a bold red with yellow highlights that hint at the city’s wartime struggles. His depiction of the Red Sea, transformed into a deep bloodred, powerfully brings to mind Massawa’s turbulent past. At this moment, the viewer encounters a convergence between the artists’ themes and styles. In both Boat at Massawa by Tesfay where the bright golden hues of the rising sun reflect off the sea, and Massawa 2 by Dr. Tajedin where the deep red that seems to cover even the sky is absorbed by the sea, we are provided with a symbolic bridge between reverence for the city’s unspoiled natural beauty and homage to Massawa’s historical endurance. This shared moment on the canvas connects the timeless isolation of Eritrea’s landscapes with the human stories that anchor its cities, creating a powerful dialogue between nature’s indifference and humanity’s resilience.
In “A Trip Through Eritrea,” Tesfay and Dr. Tajedin take viewers on a dual journey. Through Tesfay’s meditative and solitary landscapes, the exhibition offers a quiet reflection on the raw, serene beauty of Eritrea’s natural world. Dr. Tajedin, meanwhile, celebrates the vibrant, enduring cultural heritage of Eritrea’s cities, placing human narratives at the center of his work. Each artist captures a unique aspect of Eritrea: one through absence and solitude, the other through community and historical legacy. The result is an immersive journey that moves between silence and story, introspection and interaction, allowing visitors to experience Eritrea in its layered, nuanced complexity.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
