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Composition 22

Desta Hagos is known for using oil and watercolor paints in bright colors to paint beautiful scenes from everyday life. Her painting style has shifted from realistic to semi-abstract to abstract.

The style of this painting is classified as abstract in the modern artistic style, where a symbolic expression is seen; the combination of colors using the linear elements in the painting creates a visual sensation. However, each art element represents a logically structured graphical composition.

The inner layer of blue in the painting gives depth to this artistic creation and lends calmness to the circular shapes resting on it. This illusion refers to the worlds or planets that appear to be in a cross-shaped embrace, aided by shadow and light. Furthermore, the atmosphere created by the horizontal and lateral lines accentuates the rounded shapes in front. The circular shapes that stand out in a seemingly different way in relation to each other are also analogous to the basic cycle of life. 

The colored images in each circle seem to represent the various imaginary pictures that our mind creates for the moon that we see in the real world. This way, it can be seen that Desta Hagos was influenced by the artistic style of Gebre Kristos’ circle period (1964–1970). We can also see that it represents Desta’s childhood memory of being delighted to see the moon every night and how it influenced her subconscious. In this picture, we can also see our world. When we look deeply, it reminds us of the images created by the moon in the sky.

The way she uses colors to express this feeling is magnificent. Desta’s usage of round shapes in symbolic expressions and the freedom with which she uses color structures not only create their own softness and roughness on the mind of the viewer but also make the painting maintain its balance by adding beauty to each other in an amazing artistic structure.

Desta Hagos

Desta Hagos is known for using oil and watercolor paints in bright colors to paint beautiful scenes from everyday life. Her painting style has shifted from realistic to semi-abstract to abstract.

ArtistDesta HagosPeriodth centuryMediaOil on canvasDimensions113 X 114 cmGallery LocationBole cargo, Next to Tizeze Hotel and Nordic Hospital, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaShare

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