Like many
of his other paintings, this one, titled “Dark Angel,” features
religious themes typical of Ethiopia’s historic and traditional art. We can
observe that it is presented in a manner that differs from the Ethiopian
Orthodox Church’s canonical rules and historic teachings, nonetheless. It is
apparent that this painting possesses a spiritual force. A large pair of
side-swept, slanted eyes with a somewhat round face conveys a sense of immense
mystery. His visual language consistently centers on the eyes as the primary
subject in his works. This, in the viewpoint of both Christian and secular
thinking, is the manifestation of the heart’s deepest emotions and desires.
It is well
known that Worku Goshu’s paintings emphasize spiritual themes. This expresses
the artist’s aesthetic philosophy, which is expressed in a contemporary
artistic manner that is unique from the old-fashioned traditional technique.
The brown layer is portrayed as the background on the eyes in this painting,
which cover the full space of the canvas. Round shapes embellished with tiny
dots are combined to give the picture a sense of depth and balance, which
enhances its beauty. The various artistic techniques he employed gave the
painting a wonderful spiritual aura.
In this
piece of art, we can observe the use of color with freely represented human
figures in the painting’s composition that combines spatial structure to
produce harmony. The five levels outside of the category of the picture are
represented by the images we see in this artwork, which are portrayed in
enigmatic and symbolic ways. This is depicted on the painting’s initial level
as eight umbrellas. The figures on the corners depict the four saints, who are
linked to one another in a bright, intricate arrangement using different
color-layer symbols. Moreover, there are round objects with a halo or nimbi that
stand in for the sacred emblem. The twelve disciples, who are primarily shown
as in the New Testament, are exhibited in the second circle in a non-circular,
spherical frontal structure. It seems to stand for renewal, fertility, and
eternity both in antiquity and today. The third level represents the light’s
reflection, the fourth level is the image of a red flower, and the fifth level
is the realm of darkness. The power of attraction can be observed shifting from
the wide to the narrow form when the entire picture is seen.
The saints
seated on the first step, however, appear to be attempting to unite everyone
and enter the dark world, in contrast to the work’s title. They can be seen
closing and embracing the environment interconnected in all four directions.
Worku Goshu appears to have broken the canonical rules of our art country’s
traditional ecclesiastical art style in this deep and mystical subject.