The art world in Ethiopia feels a little quieter today. We learned that Behailu Bezabih, a painter and teacher who really defined what modern art meant for so many of us, passed away on April 10, 2026. He was 66. It’s hard to imagine the halls of the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design without him, considering he spent such a huge chunk of his life there, not just teaching, but as the Associate Dean for Research and Technology Transfer. I remember walking past his office—you could always smell the faint, sharp scent of turpentine and old paper lingering in the corridor, a permanent reminder of the work being done inside.
He was born in Addis Ababa back in 1960. That’s a long time to be deeply embedded in one creative scene, starting with his own graduation from the Alle School in 1980. After the Derg regime fell, he was right there in the thick of it, helping figure out what Ethiopian art should look like in a new, changing era. Misryoum notes that he was a founding member of the Dimension Group, which basically turned the local scene on its head by pushing boundaries people didn’t even know were there.
His art felt spontaneous, almost like he was thinking out loud on the canvas. It wasn’t stiff or overly calculated. Actually, he always credited his time teaching children at Hiwot Berhan Elementary School for that specific, raw energy. He felt those kids taught him how to be authentic again. Or maybe it was just his natural way of looking at the world—either way, it worked.
He leaves behind a legacy that stretched way past our borders, honestly. His work traveled across continents, and he became a major voice in the narrative of what modern African art represents. It’s a huge loss, really. He wasn’t just a professor or a painter; he was a bridge between the old guard and whoever was coming up next, though I’m not sure anyone truly replaces that kind of presence.
It’s quiet now. The students, the colleagues, they’re all reeling a bit. Misryoum reports that his impact on nurturing creativity in his students was perhaps his greatest achievement. He pushed them to link our deep cultural roots to the weird, experimental stuff he loved so much.
We will miss his perspective. He just… he had a way of seeing things that most people miss in the day-to-day grind. It’s a shame he’s gone.
