My Story
An Obsession with Menen
I am a textile artist based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I returned to Ethiopia after 37 years of living in the United States where I worked in the corporate sector for 15 years as a consultant in the field of Human Resources. After returning to Addis Ababa with my husband and two children, and inspired by the level of artisanal community and traditional crafts, I decided to pursue art and design. As a self-taught batik artist, my focus is on creating fabrics that are painted by hand. Each garment is a work of art and as such, is unique and cannot be reproduced. In this world of mass production, mass consumption, and waste, I believe that this type of high-quality production is the sustainable future of art &fashion.
The fabric above is a traditional handwoven Ethiopian cotton called menen. Ethiopian traditional dresses are made using this fabric. Its thin, light weight, and has a gauze like structure. It is the backbone of Ethiopian culture as women wear it for all occasions : celebrations, to church, and daily as a shawl around their shoulders. This fabric is deep in my psyche. As soon as I wear it, it transforms me connecting me deep in to my ancestral past and the rich culture and traditions, 3000 years old, are genetically coded within me.
This work is an exploration of an ancient fabric and creating something contemporary to bring another form-as art , as a wall fabric, or clothing. I explore color, movement, and lines to tell the story of the vibrant and eclectic culture of my country.
Contact information: nunu@ethiopianbatik.com
Textile Art
Batik is a textile design process that dates back 2,000 years in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. All over Africa, batik artists practice this craft using their own techniques. As a textile artist my work combines elements of Ethiopian design with the broader African perspectives. Current body of work is an integration of batik with handwoven traditional Ethiopian fabric.
About My textiles
Fetel Throw
A handspun & handwoven traditional Ethiopian Fabric (100% cotton)
Expert weavers (Shemane) use traditional looms to create exquisite fabrics which are hand painted using the batik process. Fabrics are sourced from the Addisu Gebaye Weavers Association, Tibebe Shemma Works, and Sammy Ethiopia.
My work is committed to preserving this ancient tradition. By working with the weavers association, the goal is to create high quality contemporary textile and build the infrastructure to connect the weavers work to the global market. All fabrics are 100% cotton handwoven and come in varying types such as Menen, Weldeyes, Gabi, Fetel, and Saba.
hanubet: Gallery/Shop
Ethiopian Batik collection is currently available at Hanubet located in the Sarabet area in Addis Ababa.
nunu@ethiopianbatik.com