Dawit Abebe: Barefoot (ባዶ እግር)

Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery is delighted to inaugurate its new expanded Berlin space in the Mercator Hoefe courtyard with a solo exhibition by the acclaimed Ethiopian artist Dawit Abebe. ‘Barefoot - ባዶ እግር’ presents a dynamic new series of mixed-media paintings that continue the artist’s investigations into how historical events shape cultural, political, and social identities.

Abebe describes the human figure as ‘an alphabet’ which he uses to weave narratives that are both personal and collective. In these latest works, the body appears at different scales with a contrast between gigantic painted limbs - disembodied feet like vast mountain ranges, legs, and torsos that tower beyond the confines of the canvas – and tiny silhouettes of cut-out figures from magazines. Carefully placed objects, many of which are recurring motifs in Abebe’s practice, articulate complex ideas surrounding heritage and cultural identity. Cameras of various forms - handheld, CCTV, or embedded in smartphones - reference surveillance, vanity, and performance.

 

The emphasis on feet and shoes marks a new direction for Abebe and stems from his research into key moments in Ethiopian history such as the battles of Dogali (1887) and Adowa (1896) fought against the Italian invaders who were defeated by barefoot Ethiopian soldiers. Later on in 1960, the Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila won the Rome marathon and set a world record, also barefoot. As Abebe says, ‘Bikila not only won the marathon but also artistically speaking, with his bare feet, he made and left historical invisible marks on the 42-kilometer Italian paved road.’ Through these works, feet emerge as symbols of strength, freedom, and collective memory, encapsulating cultural identity and legacy.

 

These ideas are vividly illustrated in works such as "Barefoot 13," where pairs of feet create a landscape of caves and valleys that a small cut-out figure must navigate. In other works, a single looming barefoot acts as a spectre, juxtaposed with shoes – such as a stiletto heel or glossy brogues - that symbolise  modern, urban life. This dialogue between past and present forms the crux of Abebe’s work.

 

Far from being in conflict, however, these two worlds – old and new – are presented as interwoven expressions of time’s passage and the evolution of identity. Abebe’s works strip us to our core, exposing the ways in which we embellish and perform our identities while also reminding us of our beginnings and our shared humanity.