Step into SOLE & SOUL: a world where material, memory, and transformation collide.
Tesfahun Kibru reimagines discarded rubber, worn textiles, and rusted surfaces 'ዝገቲዝም', turning them into powerful expressions of process, pressure, and rebirth.
His work challenges perceptions of value and beauty, inviting us to see possibility in what is often overlooked.
Curated by Dagim Abebe, this exhibition brings together a body of work that is both raw and deeply intentional, grounded in experimentation and transformation.
Join us for the opening on April 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM at The Space Ethiopia Gallery and experience it in person.
The exhibition titled “Sole and Soul” uses nearly ten different types of shoe soles as references, and starting points to reflect the ingenuity humans have developed since ancient times in creating footwear. Building on this, the work is constructed by layering (overlapping) cut pieces of cardboard. Through this technique, the composition moves toward a figurative expression which evokes the sense of the human body while also incorporating elements of semi-abstraction. The conceptual idea is initially developed and presented through an expressive approach that integrates the exploratory and research-based method and style known as “Improvisation.”
Since perspective is what gives art its artistic value, I used this viewpoint as a foundation and focused on the question, “How can I utilize this idea?” Building on that, I employed an approach I had previously initiated and continued to explore through research, known as “Rustism.” This method uses rust as a medium—specifically a natural pigment. It possesses qualities that distinguish it from man-made colors, functioning as a natural form of painting that does not easily fade under sun or rain.
In addition, drawing from an idea I have known since childhood, I explain rust as a starting point. In the past, before twisted ropes were introduced in our country, washed clothes were hung on metal wires. I reference this to develop a conceptual beginning and end based on the process of removing rust stains from these clothes. By taking this idea as a focal point and incorporating the technique of overlapping, I produced this work as a new and distinctive approach to art. The work process goes like this: I mix iron powder with glue and use it as a pigment. After letting it sit for one day, I fold the fabric in the arrangement I desire and immerse it in water. Through this process, I bring out and refine the results that emerge from the interaction of positive and negative effects.
Collaborating with factory workers I experimented on fabricated products to produce a unique new outcome. One example of this experiment is, before the rubber used to produce car floor mats is fully processed, I combined it with different types of fabrics and subjected them to heat using a heating machine. As a result, the fabric fused with the rubber, producing a surprising discovery. This combined rubber-and-fabric artwork has been presented in this exhibition.
