TALISMAN GALLERY IN ADDIS ABABA – TEXT BY PHILIPPE POURHASHEMI

Painter and gallery owner Massimo de Vita

Dear Shaded Viewers,

If you're in Addis Ababa this summer -one never knows- make sure not to miss Massimo de Vita's exhibition at Talisman Gallery. I met Massimo during my trip to Ethiopia and was impressed with his paintings, which hover between abstraction and figurative art. Talisman Gallery opened last month and his works have been well-received. Massimo uses wire mesh and jute cord, giving his paintings a textured and 3D feel. The gallery will also be a platform for emerging Ethiopian artists, giving them the space and exposure they deserve.

Dancing Trees

Energy

A personal favourite is "Up to You", which depicts a runny, but beautiful map of the world. Nature and environmental concerns are key themes within Massimo's work and that painting seems like a bit of a wake up call.

Best,
Philippe

Talisman Gallery
P.O. Box 843
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Off. +251-11-372 48 91

Philippe Pourhashemi

A freelance fashion writer, consultant and stylist, Philippe Pourhashemi was born in Tehran in 1976. He grew up in Paris, before moving to Scotland to study Foreign Languages. His passions are fashion and culture, as well as music and film. He writes and styles features for Metal in Barcelona, Behind the Blinds in Brussels, Contributor in Stockholm, Veoir in New York and SKP in Beijing. He was named Fucking Young's Editor-at-Large in 2016 and has contributed to ASVOF since 2008, acting as Correspondent-at-Large since 2012. An avid traveler, he likes to explore exotic fashion weeks and unexpected destinations whenever he can.