Amid political turmoil, humanitarian crisis, and fragile security, Mekelle—the capital of Ethiopia’s war-scarred Tigray region—recently offered an unexpected reprieve: an art exhibition that celebrated tradition while confronting trauma.
The show, titled Hideyat—the Tigrinya word for “embroidery”—ran from August 21 to 24 and featured 16 works by four young painters. Their canvases drew on Tigray’s long history of elaborate clothing and hairstyles while also bearing the weight of war: images of loss, survival, and the quiet persistence of culture.
One of the exhibitors, 22-year-old Robel Hailu, relies entirely on his art for a livelihood. A graduate of Mekelle Art College, Robel presented four works in what he calls a “Tsionism” style—a blend of cultural motifs, personal ideology, and realism. For him, the exhibition was not only his second formal showing but also an opportunity to be seen.
“None of my pieces sold,” he admits. “Maybe the prices were too high. But what matters is that people now know there are painters here who want to sell paintings.” The exposure has already paid off: even before Hideyat, Robel had begun receiving commissions, and the event, he said, brought more. “As a young artist with no other income, painting is everything for me.”
Still, he lamented the lack of awareness surrounding exhibitions in Tigray, where audiences are rarely exposed to formal art spaces. Many visitors, he recalled, confessed it was their first time attending such an event—and wondered aloud whether Mekelle had ever hosted one before.
Hideyat was organized by a newly formed collective, the Hideyat Art Center, founded just three months earlier by four Mekelle-based artists. Their mission was twofold: to revive traditional sartorial and hairstyling practices that have faded from daily life, and to underscore the role of women in preserving cultural identity.
“We wanted to bring back what is being forgotten,” said Dawit Zewede, 27, both an artist and the group’s finance officer. “These old hairstyles are hardly seen anymore—today, women only braid their hair for special occasions. Through art, we can remind people of their value.”
The exhibition, staged at Misgena Lounge in Mekelle’s bustling “22” district, displayed 12 oil paintings and four collages by Robel, Dawit, and fellow artists Gezi Fetwee and Lidya. The works, priced between 65,000 and 130,000 birr, were intended both as cultural statements and as an economic lifeline for their creators.
Dawit, as one of the exhibiting artists, said the show was also an effort to reclaim traditions that have slipped from everyday life in Tigray and across Ethiopia. Hairstyles such as Game and Shequre, once markers of identity and artistry, are rarely seen among the younger generation. Even clothing has shifted: silk-like chiffons have replaced the Habesha garments that were once ubiquitous.
Among Dawit’s four oil paintings, one work held particular resonance. Titled Kuno, it depicts a braiding style he likens to the construction of buildings, where separate elements fuse into a single structure. “As each strand of hair folds together to form Kuno, different building materials intertwine to form a whole,” he said. The large canvas—140 by 90 centimeters—took him two weeks to complete and, for him, symbolizes unity and togetherness.
For both Dawit and fellow artist Robel, the exhibition was a breakthrough, but not without obstacles. Robel pointed to the public’s limited exposure to galleries and exhibitions, while Dawit highlighted financial constraints and the scarcity of suitable venues. Still, both pledged to keep going, convinced that Hideyat had cracked open new possibilities.
They hope to stage more exhibitions in Mekelle and beyond, building on the momentum. “Local visitors showed solidarity with our work,” they said. “Regional media and social platforms helped raise awareness, encouraging us to do more.”
Robel, who dreams of one day running his own studio, believes the exhibition could serve as a model for other young artists hoping to gain recognition for Tigray’s visual culture. Dawit, too, voiced optimism: “We have the motivation. What we need now is the full support of regional stakeholders.”
For visitors, the show offered more than cultural nostalgia. Fillimon Geberu, who attended the exhibition, said the paintings captured both the beauty of forgotten traditions and the scars of the two-year war that ravaged Tigray. “People here face much heavier burdens than art,” he said. “But you can see, through these paintings, how deeply the war has shaped lives. The despair is there on the canvas.”
Even so, Fillimon argued that art could serve as a kind of therapy for a population still reeling from conflict. “Exhibitions like this can be healing,” he said. “They remind people of who they are, even after everything they’ve endured.”
Mekelle is now beginning to host other cultural projects, including a photography exhibition documenting the lives of the region’s internally displaced people. The images, organizers say, will capture both those still in the region and those scattered across camps abroad—a visual record of survival amid upheaval.
Despite the profound challenges of operating in a region grappling with the aftermath of war and a fragile economy, the Hideyat Art Center has ignited a crucial spark of cultural revival. Their exhibition stands as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit, demonstrating that art is not a luxury but a vital necessity—a means to preserve identity, process collective trauma, and envision a path forward.
