Artworks Catalog

Nirit Takele's work vividly explores heritage, migration, and contemporary identity.

Born in Ethiopia in 1985 and immigrating to Israel during Operation Solomon, Takele draws from personal and collective narratives of displacement and belonging. Her paintings, characterized by bold color palettes and dynamic sculptural figures, offer a striking portrayal of the Beta Israel community while engaging with broader global conversations on identity and cultural hybridity.

A graduate of Shenkar College's Multidisciplinary Art program, Takele fuses classical European techniques with modernist abstraction, inspired by artists such as Michelangelo, Diego Rivera, and David Hockney. Her figures, often monumental yet introspective, emerge from broad planes of color, embodying both strength and vulnerability. A residency Program in Addis Ababa deepened her connection to Ethiopian heritage, infusing her work with richer color palte.

Her exhibitions spanning institutions from Zeitz MOCAA to The Negev Museum of Art affirm her growing impact on contemporary figurative painting. Recognized with prestigious awards and featured in significant collections worldwide, Takele's work extends beyond representation; it is an evocative dialogue between past and present, tradition and reinvention.
Through her distinctive approach to figuration, Takele challenges conventional portrayals of Ethiopian-Israeli identity, offering a powerful reimagining of belonging and cultural preservation. Each canvas is both a reflection and a bridge, illuminating the complexities of migration and the beauty of diasporic narratives.