Ethiopian Art

I don't want to make it seem like all there is in Ethiopia is laughing and music. There is much more than that. One thing I love most is the art. You can go to one of the many art galleries to check out the modern artists and their amazing work. My favorite art gallery is Makush on Bole road. They have really nice paintings on display and for sale and if you get hungry you can sit down and have a great dinner.

If you want to see the origins of Ethiopian Art you can head over to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies on the Addis Ababa University campus. The institute is in the king's old palace that he donated to the school. The museum they have on the second and third floors is hands down the best museum in Ethiopia. You can even see Haile Selassie's old master bedroom and bath! (and walk-in closet from the 30's)!

Update: By the way, my grandfather was an artist. His name is Yigezu Bisrat. He used to do a lot of work with the Ethiopian Alphabet (Fidel), and border designs for diplomas. He never sold any of his paintings but there is one or two in the Addis Ababa Museum (the rest are with family in a secret location... in the south Bronx). Check out the site we put up to display his work.