A Visionary of Color, Culture, and Identity
Nirit Takele's work is a striking testament to the intersection of heritage, migration, and contemporary identity. Born in Ethiopia in 1985 and immigrating to Israel during the historic Operation Solomon in 1991, Takele's artistic journey is deeply rooted in the complex narratives of displacement, adaptation, and self-discovery. Her vivid and full-of-energy paintings reflect personal memory and collective cultural consciousness, capturing the nuances of the Beta Israel community within the broader Israeli and global artistic landscapes.
A graduate of Shenkar College's Department of Multidisciplinary Art in 2015, Takele has developed a unique artistic language that fuses elements of classical European techniques with the bold, graphic sensibilities of modernist abstraction. Inspired by painters like Michelangelo, Diego Rivera, and David Hockney, she carves out her distinct visual style that reveals exaggerated human forms, a dynamic sense of movement, and a palette that pulsates life. The figures in her paintings emerge in striking sculptural compositions, defined by broad, flat planes of color and intricate tonal juxtapositions, which lend them both weight and dreamlike lightness.
Girl’s support, 110x140 cm, acrylic on canvas, Nirit Takele 2023
Her artistic practice is not merely an aesthetic endeavor but a powerful act of storytelling. Each painting is a bridge between past and present, between cultures and geographies, and between personal memory and collective identity. Through her distinctive approach to figuration, Takele captures the physical form and her inspired subjects' emotional and psychological landscapes. The interplay of shadow and light, solidity and fluidity, reflects the ever-evolving nature of identity itself—one that is shaped by history, migration, and the spaces in between.
Takele's vision extends beyond representation; her work is an invitation to reimagine belonging, heritage, and the beauty of diasporic narratives. She challenges conventional portrayals of Ethiopian-Israeli identity, offering instead a deeply personal and universally resonant perspective.
As she continues to paint, Takele reaffirms the importance of art for cultural preservation and evolution. Her canvases serve as both a mirror and a beacon, reflecting the intricacies of her journey while illuminating the broader human experience. Through her mastery of color, composition, and form, Nirit Takele solidifies her place as a vital force in contemporary art, shaping the visual language of identity, migration, and belonging for future generations.
At the heart of Takele's work is an exploration of personal and communal identity. Using bold hues and intricate layering, she evokes the vibrancy of Ethiopian cultural heritage while engaging in an ongoing dialogue with her surroundings in Israel. This duality is most evident in her depictions of the Beta Israel community, offering a window into their experiences, traditions, and the shifting landscapes of belonging. Her figures often possess an almost monumental presence, yet they remain tender and introspective, inviting viewers to engage with their intimate stories.
One of the defining moments of her artistic evolution was her residency in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, initiative by Eliya Maharat collabrated with START Residency Program. Returning to her birthplace proved transformative, imbuing her work with even greater chromatic intensity and a heightened sense of cultural reclamation. The experience deepened her connection to Ethiopian traditions, patterns, and storytelling, now infusing her paintings with an even richer narrative depth.
Takele's work has garnered critical acclaim both in Israel and internationally. Her exhibitions span major institutions and galleries, including solo shows such as Chromatic at The Negev Museum of Art in Be'er Sheva, The Space Between Us at Addis Fine Art Gallery in London, and Flying with Angels at Tafeta, London. Her presence in group exhibitions—from Africa Supernova in the Netherlands to When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting at Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town and 'sync in progress' at Tang Contemporary Art in Beijing—cements her significant voice in contemporary figurative painting.
Beyond her exhibitions, Takele has received prestigious accolades that reflect her impact on the art world, including the Young Artist Award from Israel's Ministry of Culture and Sports, Sotheby's 'Under The Hammer' Prize for Emerging Artists, and the Artis Grant for Exceptional Work in Uncertain Times. Her works are housed in renowned collections, including the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the West Collection in the USA, affirming her growing influence on the global stage.
Artist Bio
THE SPACE BETWEEN US
Art Fairs where Nirit's works are featured.
ART FAIRS
Biography
BFA, Department of Multidisciplinary Art, Shenkar College, Ramat Gan
2011 - 2015
EDUCATION
SOLO EXHIBITION
2023
Chromatic, The Negev Museum of Art, Curator: Ron Bartos, Be’er Sheva
2021
The Space Between Us, Addis Fine Art Gallery, London
2019
Three Views, Hezi cohen Gallery, Curator: Shulamit Nuss, Hagit P.Rotem. Tel Aviv
2018
Flying with Angels, Tafeta, Addis Fine Art Project Space, London
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION
2025
Where Edges Meet, Corridor Contemporary gallery,
Curator: Ariel Rom, Tel Aviv
If I Was Body, Petach Tikva Museum of Art, Curator: Irena Gordon, Petach Tikva
2024
Becoming, Curator: Meital Manor, Yaacov Agam Museum, Rishon Lezion
Resilience & Reflection,
Curator: Danielle Rbibo, David Benrimon Fine Art, New York
Connected Threads, Addis Fine Art, NADA Exhibition Space, New York.
*When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting,
Curator: Koyo Kouoh,
Kunstmuseum Basel, The Hague, Netherlands
2023
Africa Supernova, Collection Contenporary African Art & Pieter Schulting, Amersfoort, Netherlands
2022
‘Sync in progress…’, Tang Contemporary Art Gallery,
Curator: Michela Sena, Beijing, China
When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting,
Curator: Koyo Kouoh, ZeitzMOCAA, CapeTown
Side by Side, duo exhibition with Ronit Porat, Nassima Landau Art Foundation, Tel Aviv
2020
High Voltage, Nassima Landau Art Foundation, Curator:
suzanne landau, Tel Aviv
You Belong Here, Duo exhibition with Orit Ben Shitrit, C24 Gallery,
Curator: David C. Terry, New York
2019
On Money, Forte Gallery, curator: Tamar Lamdan, Carmit Shine, Tel Aviv
Prism, Artspace Tel Aviv Gallery, curator: Nir Harmat, Tel Aviv
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, Addis Fine Art, New York
2018
Israeli Fine Art, Duo exhibition with Tigist Ron Yoseph, Curator: Eliya M. Shlomon, Edom Belete, Addis Ababa
70 Years: Individual-State, Trumpeldor Gallery, Curator: Cohava Peterman-Lipschutz, Be'er Sheva
2017
Dangerous Art, Haifa Museums of Art, Curator: Revital Silverman Grun, Haifa
Artist's Greenhouse, [Solo Bot], Fresh Paint Art Fair 9, Tel Aviv
2016
Bread & Roses, Tel Aviv Artist's Studios, Curator: Dani Ben Simhon,
Tel Aviv
Painting Camp 2016: Activists, The Negev Museum of Art, Curator: David Vakstein, Dalia Manor, Be'er Sheva
2015
Material identity...cultural identity, The Yavne Art Workshop, Curator: Ronnie Reuben, Yavne
Survival War, Graduate Exhibition, Department of Multidisciplinary Art, Shenkar College, Ramat Gan
2014
Come to Bat Yam, Ryback House, MoBY: Museums of Art, Curators: Larry Abramson, Joshua Simon.
2013
Change / Exchange, The African Studies Gallery, Tel Aviv
2025
Artis Residency at Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts (EFA) Collaboration with Artis Residency Grant Program.
two months.
New York, United States
2018
Residency Program in Addis Ababa. Initiative by Eliya Maharat Sholomon Collaboration with "Africa First" artist Residency program by Serge Tiroche)
two months
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
RESIDENCY PROGRAM
AWARDS
2022
Honorable mention, Becky Dekel Prize, Association for Women’s Art and Gender Research in Israel.
2021
Artis Grant for Exceptional Work in Uncertain Times
2019
Young Artist Award by the Ministry of Culture and Sports
2017
Sotheby’s “Under the Hammer” Prize for Emerging Artists, Fresh Paint 9
2014
Talia Sidi Award for Academic Excellence, Shenkar College
COLLECTIONS
Nirit Takele's paintings have been acquired by public and private collections, among them:
-
Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Tel Aviv Museum of Art
-
Bank of Israel
Multidisciplinary Art School, Shenkar College
Israel Discount Bank
Africa First – Serge Tiroche Collection
Melanie and Matthew Bronfman's Art Collection
West Collection (Al and Paige West) USA
1-54
Contemporary African Art Fair
1-54, established in 2013 by Touria El Glaoui, is the world's first global art fair dedicated solely to contemporary African art. Held annually in London, New York, and Marrakech, it champions work by artists from Africa and its diaspora. Through exhibitions by top galleries, artist talks, panels, and special projects, 1-54 fosters a vibrant platform for diverse voices and perspectives. Its name reflects the 54 countries that make up the African continent.
Addis Fine Art gallery presents artist Nirit Takele.
Industria, 775 Washington Street, New York, NY 10014, 3 - 5 May 2019. Booth B07
FreshPaint Fair
Israeli Art & Design
Freshpaint is Israel’s leading contemporary art and design fair, founded in 2008 by Sharon Tillinger and Yifat Gurion. Held annually in Tel Aviv, curated by Yifat with Raz Shapira -Head of Art, it showcases both emerging and established artists and designers through exhibitions, installations, and special projects. The fair showcases Israeli creativity and innovation, attracting thousands of visitors and playing a pivotal role in the country’s cultural landscape.
Artist Nirit Takele has been selected as the winner of the Sotheby's "Hammer Prize" in the Young Artists' Incubator at the Fresh Paint 9 art fair, 2017. The selected work will be sent to New York, where it will be sold at a Sotheby's international auction
