Artists with Ethiopian ties are featured prominently at the Venice Biennale 2026. Tegene Kunbi represents Ethiopia in the national pavilion with his exhibition Shapes of Silence, while British-Ethiopian Theo Eshetu appears in the main international show. This marks Ethiopia's second national pavilion since its debut in 2024.
The Venice Biennale, among the world's premier contemporary art events, opens in 2026 under the theme In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh. Ethiopia returns with its second national pavilion since debuting in 2024.
Tegene Kunbi represents the country with a new body of work titled Shapes of Silence, using abstraction and materiality to explore silence as a social condition. British-Ethiopian artist Theo Eshetu features in the main international exhibition. Tsedaye Makonnen and Jermay Michael Gabriel also appear in Biennale-related presentations highlighting Ethiopian-Italian cross-cultural influences.
These build on Ethiopia's 2024 pavilion led by artists including Elias Sime, Merikokeb Berhanu, and Tesfaye Urgessa. Separately, Ethiopian-American Julie Mehretu received a medallist honor in the Established Artists category at the 2026 Art Basel Awards, alongside Theaster Gates. She will also be celebrated at the 2026 Whitney Museum Gala.
Such achievements underscore the rising global presence of artists linked to Ethiopia, connecting hubs from Addis Ababa to New York and Venice in shaping contemporary art discourse. The Biennale increasingly engages African perspectives through diverse media.
