Robel Temesgen (b. 1987) is a Ph.D. fellow in Artistic Practice at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. He received an MFA from Tromsø Academy of Contemporary Art, University of Tromsø, Norway in 2015 and a BFA in Fine Art (Painting) from Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, Addis Ababa University in 2010. Robel’s work focuses on symbiotic relations and the languages around places, people, and spirits through painting, publication, and installation. His lengthy projects include Adbar, Addis Newspaper, and Practicing Water. Robel’s work has been widely exhibited on international platforms in solo and group shows, including Kunsthall Oslo (2023), Lingen Konsthalle, Lingen (2022), ARoS Museum, Aarhus (2021), Para Site, Hong Kong (2021), Kunsthall Oslo, Olso (2019), Circle Art Agency, Nairobi (2019), Addis Foto Fest, Addis Ababa (2018), Modern Art Museum, Addis Ababa (2018), Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (2017), Akademie der Künste, Berlin (2016), and Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin (2014). He received several awards and fellowships, Lingen Art Prize (2022), Junge Akademie, Akademie der Künste, Berlin (2018), and IASPIS, Stockholm (2017). Robel is a Lecturer at Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, Addis Ababa University, and lives between Addis Ababa and Oslo.
EDUCATION
2021 - 2024
PhD in Artistic Research, National Academy of the Arts, Oslo, Norway
2015
MA in Contemporary Art, Academy of Contemporary Art and Creative Writing, University of Tromsø, Norway
2010
BFA(with great distinction) in Painting, Ale School of Fine Arts and Design, Addis Abeba University, Ethiopia
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023
Practising Water; report #I - Kunsthall Oslo, Oslo, Norway
2022
Faces of Stories - Kunsthalle Lingen, Lingen, Germany
2022
Interior Landscapes - Tromso Kunstforening, Tromso, Norway
2022
Jebenas - In the Closet, Oslo, Norway
2020
Lecture performance, Addis News Paper- The Chinese Issue – Guramayne Art Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2019
Making the News: Reading between the lines, from Peterloo to Meskel Square, The Portico Library, Manchester, UK
2018
Min Nebere? Modern Art Museum, GKDC, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
2018
Floating Jebenas, Fendika Cultural center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2018
Confluence, Tiwani Contemporary, London, UK
2017
There is no Politics in Painting?, Marabouparken, Stockholm, Sweden
2016
NADA Miami, Solo representation, Tiwani Contemporary, Miami, USA
2016
Constellated Dots, Small Projects, Tromsø, Norway
2016
Adbar, Tiwani Contemporary, London, UK
2015
Adbar, Kurant Visningsrom, Tromsø, Norway
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Chart Art Fair, Copenhagen, Denmark
2022
Nobel Peace Center, Oslo, Norway
2021
This is Not Africa; Unlearn what you have learned. ARoS Art Museum, Aarhus, Denmark
Death to the Curator, As part of GIZE Collective, Kunsthall Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Home Is, The Israeli Center for Digital Art, Israel
2020
Coming-together, Kunsthall Oslo, Oslo, Norway
2019
RE:PUBLIC, Circle Art gallery, Nairobi, Kenya
2019
Addis 2019 - Africa as Concept and Method: Emancipation, Decolonization, Freedom, Addis Abeba Museum, Ethiopia
2018
Addis Foto Fest, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
ነጋሪ : Manifesto, Guramayne Art Centre, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Harstad Skole, Harstad, Norway
Cape Town Art Fair, Cape Town, South Africa
2017
The Oslo Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo Kunsthall, Oslo, Norway
Festival of Future Nows 2017→ ∞ , Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart - Berlin
A Painting Today, Stevenson, Cape Town, South Africa
Art Brussles, Prime Section, Tiwani Contemporary, Brussels, Belgium
Agora Artes, Akademie Der Kunste
Field Work, Tiwani Contemporary, London, UK
2016
Uncertain States, Akademie Der Kunste, Berlin, Germany
IVAHM, New Media Arts Festival, Museum la Neomudejar, Madrid, Spain
2015
Addis International Video Art Festival, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
MFA Show, Tromsø Kunstforening, Tromsø, Norway
Art Future/Future Signs, Riga, Latvia
Mondo, Lofoten International Art Festival (LIAF), Svolvaer, Norway
Cinema Lada, Modern Art Museum/Gebre Kristos Desta Center, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Cinema Extension, RomeAfrica Film Festival, Rome, Italy
Grounded in Movement, Lumen Festival, New York, NY, USA
Øyet I Handen, Tegnerforbundet, Oslo, Norway
2014
Old News, Festival of Future Nows, Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany
Freskt Kjott, Gallery Kurant, Tromsø, Norway
Collaborative Attempt, Gallery Snerk, Tromsø, Norway
Addis Art Fair, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
2013
Fana Wogi, Modern Art Museum/Gebre Kristos Desta Center, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Quansa Revisited, Listros Gallery, Berlin, Germany
50th Anniversary of the African Union, National Museum, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Heart to Heart from Rome to Addis, National Theatre Gallery, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
2012
Jan Meda, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Café Town (two-person show with Emanuel Tegene), National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Survivart Exhibition, Gallerea Meinblau, Berlin, Germany
Ethiopian Visual Artists Association, Laphto Center, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
2011
Summer Festival, Video Documentary, Berlin, Germany
Free Thought #1, Nesta Art Village/Alliance Ethio-Français, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Four Freedoms, US Embassy, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
2010
50th Anniversary of African Independence, Paris, France
BFA Graduation Show, ASFAD, Addis Abeba University, Ethiopia
2009
Listro Project, International Artists, Berlin, Germany
Love Project, Art of Artists' Books, Ethiopia/Zimbabwe/USA
RESIDENCIES AND AWARDS
2022
Lingen art Prize, Kunsthall Lingen, Germany
2022
Exhibition Grant, Kunstsentren i Norge, Norway
2018
First Africa Artist in Residence, Tel Aviv, Israel
2017
Iaspis, the Swedish Arts Grants Committee'sInternational Programme for Visual and Applied Artists.
2016
Kulturradet Stipend for graduate Artists, Tromso, Norway
2016
Junge Akademie one year Scholarship, Akademie der Kunst, Berlin, Germany
2014-2015
Quota Scheme, two Years Scholarship, Tromso, Norway
2011
Artist in Residence, Zoma Contemporary Art Center, Harla, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
Freedom from Fear, Norman Rockwell Foundation, US Embassy, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
2010
Gold Medal for Outstanding Student of the Year, Addis Abeba University, Ethiopia
2009
Ethio-Japan Relations One Year Scholarship
PUBLICATION
2023
Robel Temesgen. Lingen Art Prize, solo exhibition Catalog, Kunsthall Lingen, Lingen.
2023
Practising Water; report #1. Solo exhibition catalog, Kunsthall Oslo.
2023
Where is Africa Volume 1. CARA.
2022
As you go… the road under your feet, towards the new future. Mousse Publishing, Belgrade.
2022
Collectors Series: Artists and Cities. TSA, Lagos|Amsterdam.
2021
Death to the Curator. Kunsthall Oslo, Oslo.
2021
This is not Africa; Unlearn what you have learned. Exhibition Catalog, ARos Museum, Aros.
2019
Re:Public. Tegene Kunbi, Robel Temesgen. Circle Art gallery, Nairobi.
2019
Poetry Jazz; Wax and gold. Institute for Spatial Experiments, Berlin.
2018
Min Nebere?, Exhibition Catalog, GKDC, Modern Art Museum, Addis Ababa.
2017
Jebenas. Solo Exhibition Catalog, Fendika Cultural Center, Addis Ababa.
2015
MA. Graduation Catalog, Tromso Academy of Contemporary Art, Tromso.