White Cube signs Ethiopian painter Tesfaye Urgessa

White Cube, one of the most influential galleries in the contemporary art world, has announced that it now represents Ethiopian painter Tesfaye Urgessa. Founded in London in 1993 by Jay Jopling, the gallery operates spaces in London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Seoul, and ranks among the few enterprises capable of steering artists' careers on a truly global scale.

According to FAD Magazine, Urgessa will make his debut under the new representation with an exhibition at White Cube Hong Kong, followed by a presentation at Frieze Seoul. The gallery has not yet released specific dates or details of the works to be shown.

Born in Ethiopia in 1983 and based in Germany for several years, Tesfaye Urgessa is known for dense figurative paintings featuring intertwined bodies, vivid colour and layered compositions that probe questions of identity, displacement and belonging. He drew wide attention in 2022 when he represented Ethiopia at its first-ever national pavilion at the Venice Biennale, a milestone for the country's art scene.

The move reflects a broader trend among major Western galleries to expand their rosters with African and diasporic artists, whose market standing has strengthened considerably in recent years. For Urgessa, joining White Cube brings greater visibility in Asia, a region where the gallery has invested heavily through its Hong Kong space and its growing presence at Frieze Seoul.

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Written by the ADM desk based on FAD Magazine. Read the original article for the full story.