African
Influence in Lifestyle and Art Smithsonian
Mfundishi
Sanaa Afewerk
Tekle by
Ankhshashak Heru-Khuty
Ankhmeniition
On
my holiday from the New York City Board of
Education, I traveled to Africa with a
group of African educators called The
Africa Group. Every February, the group
travels to some unique destination in
Africa. This unique group of educators
seeks to bring back first hand
information, about Africa, to share with
their students. This February 2000 the
group traveled to Ethiopia and I was among
the fortunate. The group was fortunate to
visit a renowned artist.
Visionary,
spiritual, talented, humanitarian,
naturalist, Afrocentrist; these are the
words that so inadequately respond to the
personality of Afewerk Tekle. Tekle, whom
I call Mfundishi Sanaa, a Kiswahili term
meaning, a master of arts is an
internationally known artist? Mfundishi
Sanaa Tekle was born in 1932 in the North
Shoa town of Ankober,
Ethiopia.
More
He
studied Painting, Sculpture, and
Architecture at London University and the
Accademia di Michelangelo in Florence,
Italy. Later he would join the Slade
Faculty of Fine Arts University of London.
Tekle's work has been exhibited in the
United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and
Russia.I first saw Mfundishi Sanaa Tekle's
work in the form of scarves on the
airplane
On
my holiday from the New York City Board of
Education, I traveled to Africa with a
group of African educators called The
Africa Group. Every February, the group
travels to some unique destination in
Africa. This unique group of educators
seeks to bring back first hand
information, about Africa, to share with
their students. This February 2000 the
group traveled to Ethiopia and I was among
the fortunate. The group was fortunate to
visit a renowned artist.