Provenance
Acquired from Belvedere Art Gallery, Addis Ababa, April 1968;
The collection of Dr Cernyw Kline (1922-2019).

The above work depicts the dramatic and iconic rock-hewn church of St George at Lalibela, Ethiopia and its burning in 1531 by Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi following the defeat of Emperor Dawit II.

The artist commented on his work:

"I am fascinated by the cinema. In cinema a moment is translated by a multitude of images. These images, perfectly placed, create a feeling of suspense, of mystery, until a new image related them to my knowledge of experience. The problem is not to contemplate a bird's flight, but to fly like a bird."

The Belvedere Art Gallery, founded in 1964, was the first contemporary art gallery to hold exhibitions in Addis Ababa.

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- African Modern & Contemporary Art

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