Tesfaye Urgessa Joins White Cube, Ahead of Frieze Seoul and Hong Kong Solo
White Cube has revealed that it will represent Tesfaye Urgessa, an Ethiopian artist and Artsy Vanguard alum. His artwork will be showcased at Frieze Seoul 2026, featuring the piece Fiber of grace (Schutz) 2 (2025), prior to his inaugural solo exhibition at White Cube Hong Kong, which is set to open on September 9, 2026. Urgessa divides his time between Addis Ababa and Nürtingen, Germany, and made history as the first artist to represent Ethiopia at its debut national pavilion during the Venice Biennale in 2024. Currently, his first solo museum exhibition in Asia is on display at the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing until August 9, 2026. Primarily identifying as a draughtsman, Urgessa starts each day with drawing before transitioning to painting on his studio floor, using a long brush to create intricate compositions where figures often seem intertwined with their domestic environments, influenced by Ethiopian iconography and German Expressionism.
Key facts
- White Cube now represents Tesfaye Urgessa.
- Urgessa's painting Fiber of grace (Schutz) 2 (2025) will be shown at Frieze Seoul 2026.
- His debut solo exhibition at White Cube Hong Kong opens September 9, 2026.
- Urgessa lives and works between Addis Ababa and Nürtingen, Germany.
- He represented Ethiopia in its inaugural national pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale.
- His first solo museum show in Asia is at Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing until August 9, 2026.
- Urgessa describes himself primarily as a draughtsman, starting each day with drawing.
- His work is influenced by Ethiopian iconographic traditions and German Expressionism.
Entities
Artists
- Tesfaye Urgessa
Institutions
- White Cube
- Artsy Vanguard
- Frieze Seoul
- White Cube Hong Kong
- Red Brick Art Museum
- Venice Biennale
Locations
- Addis Ababa
- Ethiopia
- Nürtingen
- Germany
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Hong Kong
- Beijing
- China
- Venice
- Italy
Sources
- Artsy —