African art: Time to build bridges

Eritrean painter Noah Mulubrhan recently concluded his first solo show of 35 acrylic paintings – some of them street scenes, others abstract meditations on concepts like hope in Ethiopia. — Photos: AFP

When Eritrean painter Noah Mulubrhan crossed into Ethiopia last year, he had little desire to stay – and even less of an expectation that the move would be a boon to his career.

The 35-year-old was taking advantage of the sudden rapprochement between the two countries to visit the grave of his long-dead father in Addis Ababa, something he had been unable to do earlier because of the stalemate resulting from the 1998-2000 border war.