By Edom Belete Habtegebriel
Clouds are water droplets that have evaporated and float in the sky until they precipitate, falling as rain to the ground. But nowhere does the water fall on the place it started from. There is a constant shift. Not many, aside from those who study clouds, pay that much attention to them unless they appear ominous, disappear for a long time, or attain a curious form. Figuratively, they are associated with dreamy impracticality, opacity of thought and gloominess. Not so for Alemayehu Biratu. For him, they have a deeper meaning: “Our sweat, tears, and even our breath rises up and migrates with an ever-changing flow”, says Alemayehu.
Alemayehu is an artist who once used to believe he was an impressionist. Over time though, and through his habit of gazing at clouds, he discovered more of himself. A shift in perspective came in a moment of clarity one day when marveling at the shifting shapes of the clouds. He loves how they are not confined. He decided then and there to adopt the same concept in his painting: “Why be confined when nature herself is super dynamic”, he says. So, he goes with the flow and lets the work lead him.
When looking at the central themes of his work and how heavily it’s influenced by clouds, his fascination by them becomes evident. Using different colors and styles, he paints cloudscapes to depict fate, emotions, vulnerability, hope and symbolism.
Out of all his wonderful paintings, three pieces stood out for me. There is a piece where he uses red clouds to symbolize the heart-breaking situation that has been unfolding in Ethiopia for the past two years. Another painting delves into the biblical story of the Exodus to show that some endeavors, which seem to arise from having one’s head in the clouds, could in fact be attained, as if it were fate.
When describing the depiction of hope in a third painting, he said, “Clouds are often associated with negative situations. It’s not often that we forget that they are something that are in-between, figuratively and literally. But if we look past this, there is a light and vibrancy beyond clouds that we all crave from the depth of our souls. The sun never stops shining. Hope is a bridge that connects us with the source, or with that which we seek, until that which is blocking it is removed”.
All his paintings convey deep meaning and have a mesmerizing power with a soothing effect on the beholder.
Alemayehu lives with his beloved family in a quiet neighborhood called Sansusi in Asko, located on the far side of Addis Ababa. He devotes his time between them and his studio, which is in the compound of his house. There isn’t a minute that goes to waste. All his time and energy are split equally between the two things he loves the most: his family and painting.
During my visit to his home and studio, I meet his beloved wife and children. It wasn’t hard, then, for me to grasp his state of mind while he works. One would think home life might interfere with his creativity at some point but that’s not what I saw. Here is an artist basking in the support and love he receives from his family, which inadvertently gives him the freedom and inspiration to reach to the clouds with the tip of his brush.