There’s a world away from war, politics, or patriarchy. It’s lush. Flora, like that in “Beyond the sky #1” (2021) grows abundantly, as the waters that nourish it rush over sediment-rich cataracts. Some might call this place a modern paradise. A woman may enjoy having her hair done or preparing for a family wedding in the company of other women, as in “Preparation for Wedding in Addis Ababa” (2021). Women wear Ethiopian Orthodox robes or jeans with pumps. There’s no sense of worry or strife on anyone’s face.
This is the world painter Hana Yilma Godine creates in her show A Hair Salon in Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian painter’s second solo exhibition portrays women in domestic spaces with elegance and grace. As with her first show, 2020’s Space within Space at Fridman Gallery, Godine employs the styles and techniques of Ethiopian modernism, such as flattened perspective and elongated figures, standard practices in religious art, to imbue her subjects with spiritual undertones. These figures are layered with various textiles found in local markets, painted florals, and cultural iconography. On view through March 5 at both the Fridman Gallery and Rachel Uffner, the works transport viewers into a timeless space where beauty in culture, community, and the natural world are valued above all.
