Ethiopia’s Alle School of Fine Arts and Design at 67

For more than six decades, the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design has stood as a cornerstone of Ethiopia’s cultural landscape — a place where the nation’s artistic heritage meets the evolving language of contemporary expression. From painters and sculptors to designers and printmakers, generations of creative minds have passed through its halls, shaping Ethiopia’s art scene at home and abroad.

Tucked into the 4 Kilo district of Addis Ababa, the school’s legacy is enriched by the vision of pioneering artists. Gebrekirstos Desta brought in the vivid intensity of German Expressionism; Skunder Boghossian infused Afro-surrealist ideas into the curriculum. Over the years, the program expanded beyond studio work to embrace theoretical study and a global perspective, ensuring its students were not only skilled makers but also informed thinkers.

The institution’s origins date to 1957, when Ethiopian painter Alle Felegeselam, fresh from his studies at the Art Institute of Chicago on a scholarship from Emperor Haile Selassie I, spearheaded its founding. In 1958, the emperor himself inaugurated the school, then known as the Addis Ababa School of Art. Its early curriculum mirrored the Académie des Beaux-Arts model, led by an international faculty that included Austrian sculptor Herbert Seiler and Italian painter Vicenzo Fumo.

Initially, the school’s mandate was simple: to train art teachers. It began with three departments before gradually adding courses in fashion, industrial, and graphic design. Over time, it evolved from producing educators to cultivating independent artists and creative professionals. Those supplementary courses have since matured into full-fledged programs, reflecting the school’s widening role in Ethiopia’s cultural and creative economy.

Today, the Alle School operates five undergraduate departments offering bachelor’s degrees, alongside two postgraduate programs. Its alumni contribute to creative industries both in Ethiopia and abroad, with many holding prominent positions in education, media, and the arts. Over the years, curricular reforms and structural changes have given students the flexibility to explore multiple artistic disciplines.

While the methods of instruction have evolved, the school continues to ground its teaching in the fundamentals of artistic practice. “You have to keep up with the change and the style of the modern ways of teaching art,” said Bekele Mekonen, associate professor and director of the Gebrekirstos Desta Museum. He described the school’s approach as a blend of contemporary pedagogy and individual mentorship, enabling students to pursue their own creative paths.

Bekele emphasized that the institution’s core mission remains unchanged: to produce graduates with both the skill and the conviction to succeed anywhere in the world. “Our students are qualified in any part of the world,” he told The Reporter. “Whether in Ethiopia or abroad, they are fully accepted in higher education and professional circles. This comes from a well-tailored and complete teaching approach.”

In its early years, the school graduated barely a dozen students annually. But with increased funding, expanded facilities, and updated teaching methods, enrollment and graduation rates have surged. “In the past, the number rarely went beyond two dozen,” Bekele said. “Today, we graduate nearly 40 students each year.”

Bekele noted that, despite shifts in political leadership over the years, the school has consistently enjoyed strong backing from both the government and key stakeholders. Steady funding, he said, has enabled the institution to sustain and expand its academic programs without disruption. “We’ve never lost the support we needed, regardless of changes in governance or structure,” he said.

That support has helped transform the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design into one of Ethiopia’s foremost training centers.

“Today, its serene grounds and compelling exhibitions welcome visitors from around the world — diplomats, expatriates, and emerging artists — seeking an immersive engagement with visual arts heritage,” Bekele said, noting the school’s growing role as a hub for cultural exchange.

Records show that the school has long attracted aspiring artists from across Ethiopia, as well as an increasing number of international students. Its reputation has also drawn diplomats and foreign art enthusiasts — a trend that began in its earliest years, when foreign instructors helped craft a modern curriculum.

Rooted in the legacies of celebrated Ethiopian artists like Gebrekirstos and Boghossian, the school has nurtured creators working across a wide range of mediums, including many who are now shaping the contemporary Ethiopian art scene.

Among them is Birhan Werede, a 2020 graduate of the Department of Painting. Originally in Addis Ababa, Birhan now works as a full-time painter from his own studio in the capital. His decision to pursue formal training, he said, stemmed from a lifelong passion for art that was sharpened and deepened by the structured education he received at the school.

Since graduating, Birhan has exhibited his work both in Ethiopia and abroad, engaging with wider audiences. His paintings, known for their unvarnished depictions of everyday life, draw on personal observation and lived experience. “My work focuses on portraying the world as it is,” he said, “rooted in the realities I’ve encountered.”

Reflecting on his time at the School, Birhan credits the institution with shaping not only his professional trajectory but also his personal growth. “The foundational principles and training I received there transformed my understanding of the world,” he said. “I left with the tools to develop my work independently and contribute to the broader artistic community.”

His journey illustrates the school’s enduring influence — one that goes beyond technical mastery in painting or sculpture. For graduates like Birhan, the Alle School of Fine Arts offers an education that merges intellectual and emotional development with artistic skill, preparing them to engage meaningfully with the global creative arena.