Ethiopian Pavilion
Venice Biennale
Shapes of Silence at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Palazzo Bollani. A solo presentation curated by Abebaw Ayalew.
Painting, textile & abstractionAddis Ababa ↔ Berlin
TEGENE
KUNBI
The art of connection
Colour meets cloth.
Memory takes shape.
01 / Paintings & photographs
The language of colour.
Explore the paintings, installation views and artist portraits. Select an image to see it in full.
Ethiopian Pavilion · Biennale Arte 2026Shapes
Shapes
of Silence.
Some paintings need to be experienced in person. You are invited to discover Tegene Kunbi’s monumental canvases in Venice—where textiles, paint and memory meet.
Plan your visit ↗Exhibition information ↗Time until the exhibition closes
—Days
—Hours
—Minutes
—Seconds
Visit before the doors close on 22 November 2026.
Palazzo Bollani
Assistant curator: Yohannes Mulat Mekonnen
Countdown ends at 19:00 CET on the final exhibition day.
Add the closing date to your calendar ↗Castello 3647 · 30122 Venice, Italy
9 May – 22 November 2026
11:00 – 19:00 · Venice local time
Assistant curator: Yohannes Mulat Mekonnen
Countdown ends at 19:00 CET on the final exhibition day.
02 / The artistRooted in Ethiopia.
Rooted in Ethiopia.
In dialogue with
the world.
Born in Addis Ababa in 1980, Tegene Kunbi develops a painting practice shaped by Ethiopian heritage and contemporary abstraction.
His works combine saturated colour, geometric structure and tactile surfaces. Painted areas sit beside textiles, bringing different materials and histories into a shared composition. Ethiopian weaving traditions inform a visual language of rhythm, layering and contrast.
Kunbi graduated in Painting and Art Education from Addis Ababa University in 2004. A DAAD scholarship brought him to Germany in 2008; he completed his Master of Fine Arts at Universität der Künste Berlin in 2011.
Read the artist’s biography ↗03 / Recognition & milestones
A practice without borders.
From Addis Ababa to Berlin, Dakar and Venice: key moments in an international artistic journey.
Ethiopian Pavilion
Henrike Grohs Art Award
Shortlist
Included on the 2026 shortlist, as published by the Goethe-Institut.
Grand Prix Léopold
Sédar Senghor
Awarded the main prize at the 14th Dak’Art Biennale in Dakar, Senegal, recognising his contribution to contemporary African art.
Master of Fine Arts
Berlin
Completed his MFA at Universität der Künste Berlin after receiving a DAAD scholarship in 2008.
Painting & Art Education
Addis Ababa
Graduated from the Fine Arts School at Addis Ababa University, then taught at Kotebe College of Education.
Selected exhibitions
2026Shapes of SilenceEthiopian Pavilion · Venice, Italy
2025Dripping time, fading memoryPrimo Marella Gallery · Milan, Italy
2023Tessellations Through TimeGalerie Dutko · Paris, France
2023Meeting Points and Holding OnGallery 1957 · Accra, Ghana
2023Patchwork FreedomsPrimo Marella Gallery · Milan, Italy
2022–23Warp and WeftPrimo Marella Gallery · Milan, Italy
04 / Moving images
Inside the practice.
Films from the artist’s website and gallery. Watch here, or open the original video.
An artist’s perspective
2025 production: Lara Lurex Film UG, Berlin.
Director: Joanna Ratajczak · Cinematography: Joanna Piechota · Editor: Patricja Piróg.
Colour, texture, presence
Video presented on Tegene Kunbi’s artist page at Primo Marella Gallery.
Watch on Vimeo ↗