Henok Melkamzer: Telsem Symbols and Imagery

A rare look into the ancient Ethiopian art of telsem from a modern master of the practice

Realized in collaboration with the Africa Institute, Sharjah, and Sharjah Art Foundation, this comprehensive survey features work by the prolific contemporary Ethiopian artist Henok Melkamzer, who has attained international acclaim for his telsem works and as an advocate for his cultural heritage. Traditionally used for personal healing, telsem is an ancient, talismanic form of painting that originated in Ethiopia. Traditionally made on scrolls with vegetable dyes, it interweaves symbols, drawings and texts. Melkamzer's contemporary telsem works are primarily made with acrylic on canvas, adapting an ancient and highly intricate art to the realities of the modern world. Shaped throughout the ages by the sociopolitical and cultural histories of Ethiopia, telsem is now often used to address critical contemporary problems such as climate disasters, war and poverty. Though telsem has often been characterized as "healing art" within Western frameworks (indeed, Melkamzer trained in the art under traditional telsem healers), these works put the adapted genre in dialogue with the wider world of contemporary art.