Tegene Kunbi | opening 30.03.2023 | Primo Marella Gallery Milan

Primo Marella Gallery Milan is pleased to present for the first time at our gallery in Milan the massive solo show dedicated to the Ethiopian artist TEGENE KUNBI.

Tegene Kunbi's works are glimpses of colour, vibrant matter capable of striking the viewer. The strong, blinding tone, the full-bodied use of brushstrokes echo a kind of primitivism: the adoration of the sight and the primal hues of the earth and of course of Ethiopia his mother land. The oil paint seems to come to life and to have its own support: from the bright greens reminiscent of expanses of grass and plants, to the bright reds and oranges, a clear reflection of the clayey depressions typical of the African land. The blues often so intense undoubtedly echo the absolute purity of the sky and sea. The tones #tegenekunbi makes use of are those of his land, of an ancient and rich land, for many years, and too many still, forced to be on its knees. A land that is not distant and barren as it is often portrayed, but rather full, vital and graspable.

That's why such textural brushstrokes are made; there is no intention of description. Kunbi does not merely wish to portray landscapes, what the artist yearns for is instead to bring out the organic nature of the soil, the frightening power of the sea and the crisp movement of the foliage. This is not a landscape shot; it is the desire for revenge, an affirmation of the fact that there is still, on the part of an entire heritage, the soil in which its culture was born and from which it was schooled. Kunbi's skill allows him to range from small works to much larger surfaces, a quality and dexterity that allows him to play with the size and volume of the canvases. There is no fear in him, there is no dread, what is enacted is pure mastery of the painting medium, there is no hesitation or misunderstanding: it is like breathing. It is life, a first need to pour out.

Further information in the press release to download