User:Shameran81/Yadesa Bojia

Yadesa Bojia (b. Ambo, Ethiopia in 1970) is a Seattle-based Ethiopian graphic designer and artist. Bojia has exhibited regionally since 2006. In 2010, he rose to international acclaim when his design was selected for the African Union flag. Since 2010, Bojia has shown his work in exhibitions, completed commissioned works, and given public talks about the themes of his work, including human rights and justice. Bojia's style draws on African impressionism.

Career
Bojia was educated in art and visual communication at universities in Seattle. He came to the United States at age 25 in 1995 as a political refugee.

His style as a fine art painter draws on African impressionism. He works primarily in acrylic and oil mediums and uses bold colors and shadows. In commentary about his work, Bojia claims that he paints to raise awareness of issues related to human rights, immigration, Diaspora culture and humanity.

Bojia has been commissioned to paint a variety of works, from portraits to more abstract images of themes central to justice and equality and invited to speak on panels and for interviews about his art as activism, his background as a political refugee from Ethiopia, and artistic philosophy.

African Union flag
Bojia's profile as an artist and designer rose to international significance in 2009 when his design was the winner of an international competition to create a flag for the African Union. Bojia discovered his design was the winner when watching Quaddafi on television. He later called the competition organizers who confirmed he was the winner and his family was flown to Africa to accept the award for winning the competition; the news elevated the designer and artists profile in his adopted hometown of Seattle, where he was invited to interviews and given a larger platform to speak about his work as an artist and refugee.

Exhibitions
Northwest African American Museum Ethiopian Treasures, November 6, 2010 Group show, curated by Leul

Northwest African American Museum June26-August7, 2010 Solo show, curated by Flavia S. Zúñiga-West

Seattle Municipal Building, Group show, curated by Esther Ervin,

Interpreting the black Journey, Jan 6 – April 15 2010. Tashiro/Kaplan Building in pioneer Square,

Seattle Pacific Science Center, Lucy's Legacy Exhibit. September 08 – March 09 Group show, Curated by Diana Johns

South Seattle Community College Gallery, Here to There, May 19 – June 13, 2008

Studio 911, Solo show, November 07–December 07

Artist Gallery of Seattle, The Invisibles, Solo Show, curated by Bryan Ubagns, August 07–September 07

Artist Gallery of Seattle, Group Show, December 06–June 07

Selected publications
All Power: Visual Legacies of the Black Panther Party

https://minormattersbooks.com/products/all-power-visual-legacies-of-the-black-panther-party

Recipes from Afar and near / illustrations by Yadesa Bojia ... [et al.] ; [editor, Judy Gouldthorpe]

http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=Bojia%20Yadesa%20Z

Personal life
Yadesa Bojia was born in Ambo, Ethiopia, to a well-to-do family. When Bojia was two years old, his father, Zewge Bojia, was killed by a revolutionary army during the Ethiopian civil war. Bojia's father had been a politician, elected by popular vote three times to serve in the Ethiopian parliament during the reign of monarch Haile Selassie, he had also co-founded the Mecha and Tulema Self-Help Organization. After the death of his father, Bojia and his family moved to Addis Ababa where Bojia attended elementary and secondary schools. In 1995, Yadesa immigrated to United States.

As a child, Bojia said he admired the line-filled, bold Orthodox Christian drawings around him, spurring his interest in art.

One of Bojia's brothers lives in Washington D.C. and was interviewed by Thomas Friedman for his book, Thank You For Being Late.

Bojia is married to Hewan Gebremicheal and they have two children, Becca and Isaiah Bojia.