The Spiral

Kirubel Melke is a visual artist, born in 1983 in Addis Ababa. He lives and works in Ethiopia. Inspired by his mother's work in a textile factory, Kirubel Melke imagines figurative (politically engaged) and abstract compositions from fragments of fabric.

Using fabric as a symbol of everyday life, Kirubel explores themes related to education, social injustice and the relationship between tradition and modernity, presenting pressing issues relating to contemporary Ethiopian culture. Clothes washed and hung on a wire are a recurring theme in his series of works.