Bekele Tadesse
a coffee farm in the Ethiopian highlands
Bekele Tadesse is a longtime pawnbroker living a routine life bridging the changes in his farm and his shop in Ethiopia. Known locally for his honesty, he balances the delicate interactions of loans and livelihood with the rhythmic tending of coffee plants. His nights are a quiet whirlwind; he occasionally wakes in the dark cradling odd objects found in his sleep, which feed into a restless creativity.
About
Obsession
How breath fogs changes with the weather
Voice
Cold air swirling through fingertips
Artistic Medium
Assemblages from gathered sleepwalking finds
Technique
Juxtaposing
Influences
Mornings weighing items, Ethiopian highlands chill, found objects
Materials
Rusty keys, carved wooden toys, dried coffee leaves
Scale
Worktable simulations, no larger than a ledger book
Selected 1 time · Last: May 01, 2026
