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?UESTIONS: Yeabtsega Getachew - Digital Gold

Tribal Futurist, creating imagery that is rich in digital gold.

Yeabtsega Getachew

Please share with us your practice, passions and ambitions...

I love creating art. It hasn't been half of a decade since I started out as a digital artist and have been lucky to be part of some exciting projects. Learning to practice every day has sparked an interest and the passion I needed to create.


The most daunting aspect was to find myself doing work with no one around who could give me an opinion. I hadn’t realized that being an illustrator could be such a lonely job.


Although I consider myself very lucky, in that, by the time I left college, I had already a mentor that encouraged and helped me to navigate through my journey. I am very passionate about the work I do, art gives me a space to express and simply tell a story in a digital format making it easier for me to be part of the global conversation.


It challenges me to see far out into the future and do my bit to increase the visibility of African art especially in the digital space.


Yeabtsega Getachew
Yeabtsega Getachew

What is your philosophy and personal feelings behind your work?

Life appears complex yet is very simple. I have developed a style that is very detailed and looks complicated to make, but a second look at it, might give you the impression that perhaps it's a very simple process after all.


Creating art daily and working with others has increased my insight. As a result, it has made my process of creating easier and more efficient. I believe that once you gain more experience and use what you know, life gets a little bit easier every day.


Yeabtsega Getachew
Yeabtsega Getachew
Yeabtsega Getachew

What story does your Art wish to tell?

I want to convey the cultures I was brought in, I was raised in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia where many of the nation’s and the continent’s cultures converge.


The colour pallets, patterns and textures you find in the whole continent of Africa is what inspires me to create. Showing these cultures in the form of portraiture and illustrations is my goal whenever I create a piece.


Yeabtsega Getachew
Yeabtsega Getachew

Representation is powerful in your work, what does this mean to you?

Having the skills and using that to depict something you love is very rewarding and self-fulfilling. I think that regardless of whether you are an artist or not, you have the responsibility to use your knowledge to represent and reflect your family, nation and continent and the life around you in any way you can.


Yeabtsega Getachew

All images courtesy of Yeabtsega Getachew


Instagram: @yabi_7

Facebook: yeabtsega


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