FIDA, Betanya

The subject matter of my art consists of portraits of different aspects of the community that mean the most to me. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) has been my foundation ever since I could fully understand and embrace my culture and faith. Being a part of this community has been one of my main inspirations for my bodies of portraiture work. The pieces in this exhibit embody some of the core aspects of what it means to be part of the EOTC, as I chose to create portraits of some of the clergymen that serve the members of the Church everyday, as well as portraits of what the women would typically look like going to and participating in the services at church. I also included one self-portrait that depicts how the EOTC community as well as the others that I am a part of shape who I am. I hope viewers will be able to experience the cultural as well as the spiritual when they look at my work – and maybe learn about another one of the many amazing cultures here in Minnesota.