sellassie.info :
* film & youtube.com/ethiofilm ...
Obama & Ethiopian Diaspora -- filmplus.org/ethio [blog] :
polls
posts
... lessons of 2008 US elections -- postmodern democracy.
Electronic People and digital politics.
Language of the visual (youtubers)
2008 -- 2008 : sellassie.net and NewAmerican.biz + NewRussian.org = u21.us ![]()
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* Princess-Artist from Sellassie Publishing : sellassie.info
... and 2008 :
Anatoly Antohin, publisher -- sellassie.info anatolant@yahoo.com (907) 455 6149 Astewatso means Offering This book is a product of an exhibition of Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum (1914-1988), considered one of the first female artist of 20th century Ethiopia. The year 2008, marks the twentieth anniversary of her death. This project was initiated as a commemoration of her lifework and of her spiritual and artistic contribution to Ethiopian arts. A collection of 21 paintings were displayed to the public for the first time at the Gallery of the institute of Ethiopian studies, Addis Ababa University on April 14, 2008. From this occasion sprung the idea to publish a catalog of her work, as well as a biography of this remarkable woman, in an effort to preserve and share her vision. A brief summary of this book follows. This is the story of an extraordinary woman who lived in a world which has long disappeared. It is a rare and intimate portrayal beginning in 1914, one year after the death of Emperor Menelik and the year of her birth. The story unfolds in the span of seventy four years ending in 1988, amidst the turbulent period, the latter years of the Ethiopian revolution and military dictatorship of the Derg (1974 – 1991). The reader enters a fascinating world of personages and significant events in Imperial Ethiopia. It is a story of a pioneer; as she is celebrated as one of the first women artist in Ethiopia. She dared to cultivate her God given talent during a time when such a vocation was neither encouraged nor appreciated. She fully devoted her art as a form of worship and for the purpose of her spiritual fulfillment. It is a powerful story of a woman and her unwavering struggle to live a life of purpose. Born into the aristocracy, she lived through two arranged marriages; endured countless personal tragedies including the death of her only daughter. In the end, her spirit soars . . .it is the power of her love and the awe-inspiring dedication that overrides all. Princess Wolete Israel is a remarkable model and truly a triumphant figure. On the occasion of the twentieth year of her death, this book pays tribute to her remarkable contribution as an accomplished artist and an inspirational figure. It includes a catalog of the artist's collection of paintings. Told from a granddaughter's perspective, and based on accounts from close family members, this work attempts to reconstruct the personal life of Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum some thirty years later. To place orders for the book, contact: Beta Sellassie Publishers To arrange a book signing or interview, contact Esther Antohin Ethiopians & Rastafari Aster Sellassie, Millennium Ed. ![]() ![]() This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. ![]() HIM slide-show *
Ethiopian Anuak Worship (mp3 -- winamp) * "Ethiopia" -- new music from Addis, Ethiopia (Teowdros Abera, Tikher Teferra)! (winamp 4.46 min) download free * info ![]()
Ethiopains & Rastafari (Esther's new book)
Link back to us (copy & paste):
Ethiopian millennium Pages
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New from Sellassie Pub:
Forward
This book is a product of an exhibition of Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum (1914-1988), considered one of the first female artist of 20th century Ethiopia. The year 2008 being the twentieth anniversary of her death, this project was initiated as a commemoration of her lifework and of her spiritual and artistic contribution to the Ethiopian arts. A collection of 21 paintings were displayed to the public for the first time at the Gallery of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa University on April 14, 2008. From this occasion sprung the idea of publishing a catalog of her work, in an effort to preserve and share her vision.
Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum transcends the conventional definition of an ‘artist’, as she herself would likely not credit herself as such. The artistic talent was cultivated from her humble appreciation of nature and the beauty of the Orthodox faith, meant to be visual expressions of her devotion to her faith and family rather than a contribution to any one artistic medium. That her art was never intended for the public is evident by the fact that she often did not sign her pieces and that these paintings were stored away for many years. Part of the impetus behind this project was to preserve this collection that has been neglected and damaged with age.
In this collection of work which spans 30 years, it is clear that the Princess had her own signature style and aesthetic perspective. She taught herself the necessary techniques and experimented with various styles and inspirations, ranging from traditional Ethiopian iconography to classical European-styled portraits. The vibrant blues, reds and purples she uses are a particularly striking quality of her work (see her portraits of Mary and Child, pg 43- 44 as examples) and signify her distinctive interpretations. The subjects she choose illustrates the multifaceted influences on her life, the two key being her royal heritage, revealed through the portraits of her father and mother, and her dedication to the Orthodox faith, exemplified in her carefully constructed depictions of Christian saints and Fathers of the Church. The intricate detail applied to the features, such as the face and hands of the priests in Two Monks (pg. 33), showing the refined ability she put into her oil and charcoal pieces.
The imagery of her work is a reflection of a person well versed in Christian text and liturgy and fully engaged in Orthodox worship and rituals. As a devout member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, living an ascetic lifestyle for over forty years, Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum painted from her lived experience, though her application was more symbolic than literal. Take for example her piece Thursday Prayer (p. 31). Detailed knowledge of the Eastern Orthodox calendar would confirm that the title is not referring to any ordinary day of the week but to Holy Thursday, part of Holy Week that leads to Easter Sunday. In this scene, she choose to depict the event of Jesus’ contemplation at Gethsemane, marking his impending crucifixion and physical suffering b y the crown of thorns and red shroud, a symbol of the blood shed for the salvation of humankind. The contrast between the quiet peaceful surroundings and the immanence of temporal struggle to come produces a rather dramatic and affecting imagery.
The scriptural inscriptions attached to certain paintings give the pieces added meaning, acting as a commentary on her faith and heritage. The portrait of her son, Dejazmach Zewde (p. 59) has a particularly apt biblical reference, which relates to his educational accomplishments: “He who has sacrificed time in developing his mind, all that he threads on will flower/will yield fruit”. This could be interpreted as a metaphor of her admiration of his achievements, progressing past Ethiopia’s traditional education and onto the highest levels of scholarship, obtaining his PhD in History at Oxford University. The same could be applied to the Princess herself, who also sacrificed her time to developing her mind for higher spiritual gains, through her art and her faith.
Edjigayehu S. Antohin
Great granddaughter of Princess Wolete-Israel
How to order this book --
sellassie.info
* directory : Books on Ethiopia** Fundrasing :
[hyperlink]
Lalibela. "Lalibela Project" (contact Esther) : Ethiopian Orphans and EM Year. A page at beta.sellassie.net?
... [ Text and graphic files need to be arranged into structured datebase! when and where? ]
What must be completed by the end of 2008 : 12 boys [ names ]
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EM Year and Ethiopian 13 months!
"Visual History" [ but I dont have even captions/description for pictures, not references, not searchable functions, no credits... ] Ethiopian Dollar -- semiotics? analysis, cultural anthoropology? Nothing!
2008 --
projects: recipes texts: HIM (summary) in focus: reading: Story of Esther ![]()
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Archives:
1995 Addis. Family [ personal photo archives -- old pages at angelfire.com/ak/sellassie : it was 12 long year ago... ]
Any updates for HIM (book)? POD, CD, download for EM Year?
him.filmplus.org
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[ medals page - link to history! ]
calendar(s)
Film-North * webmaster.
© 2005 by vtheatre.net. Permission to link is granted. books.google.com + scholar.google.com
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ETHIOPIA amazon
tags: books: history:
amazon: Ras Alula and the Scramble for Africa: A Political Biography : Ethiopia & Eritrea 1875-1897 (Paperback) Ras Alula was one of the big men or Telek Saw who played a prominent role in the making of modern Ethiopia. He was famous enough to be lamented by a British historian as, "the greatest leader that abyssinia has produced since the death of the emperor Theodore in 1868." As remembered by the Ethiopians and reflected in their literature, "The famous and brave Ras Alula."
HIM (Jamaica) 51 min.
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* Ethiopian & Rastafari
* Diaspora: Ethiopians and Ethiopians
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* Ethiopians and the World
[ updates -- see EthioBLOG ]
you do it : ethio.wetpaint.com updates
... 2008 is the last year for sellassie www by me. anatoly.org
Summary of my webbing at web.filmplus.org/2007 (10 years)... and Ethiopian webmaster overview?
Where?
sellassie.ourfamily.com/web -- ?
sellassie.ourfamily.com/write ...
... 2005 * After so many years of webbing I cannot change the nature of my webpages -- they are what they were from the start; notes, thoughts, points I make for myself for classes and productions. Do they have an independent existence? Maybe, somewhere in the future... And my writing interests, of course. Anatoly
webpol : u21.us :
[ archive ]
2009 : ethio.wetpaint.com + Anatoly Antohin & Y-profile