Villa Alpha Museum to Open after Three Years of Revamp

Addis Ababa July 23/2020(ENA) International Laurite Artist Afework Tekle’s Villa Alpha Museum in Addis Ababa to reopen for visitors after extensive renovations were carried out on the institution.

Laurite Afewerk Tekle was one of Ethiopia’s most celebrated artists known for his painting on African and Christian themes as well as his stained glass.

Contributing to the African independency from colonialism, he reflected the colonial struggle in his painting named as Backbones of African Civilization and African Unity.

According to Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, the refurbishment of Villa Alpha is currently finalized and will be open its doors for the public on December this year.

Deputy-Director General of the Authority, Professor Abebaw Abebayehu told ENA that the art museum Villa Alpha overhauled with an outlay of more than three million Ethiopian Birr. Now the museum is ready to welcome visitors.

He said the entire residence of the artist including the studio, international awards and his paintings, the living quarters of the artist with bedrooms and guest-rooms, will be open to the public. 

“We are almost finalizing the museum development and refurbishment works for the house of the late artist and we will officially open to the public in the coming year in December. And we are confident that the house will be one of our tourism attractions centers for both international and local tourists,” he said.

Abebaw indicated that number of international community including head of states constantly showed their interests to visit Villa Alpha as the Laurite was one of the iconic contemporary artists in Ethiopia and Africa.

“There is always a public demand to visit the house as Laurite Artist Afework played crucial role in African contemporary arts. So, the opening of the museum will generate income beyond making an outstanding memory for the great contemporary Ethiopian artist,” he said.

It will also serve as a center for researchers to conduct to study about African contemporary arts and his works, he noted.

Villa Alpha, which is Laurite Artist Afework Tekle’s home and studio, was destroyed most of its paintings during the Italian occupation. The Italian soldiers also demolished parts of the home but he rebuilt it after Italian aggressors expelled out of Ethiopia.     

The artist was opened his studio and home to the public in 1999, however the home and studio was closed to the public following his death in 2012.

In 1997, he exhibited at the Biennale of Aquitaine, France and winning first prize in the international competition.

He was also nominated as the Laureate of the Biennale, which gave him membership of the French International Academy of Arts.

The International Laurite Artist Afework Tekle was the first African member of the Russian Academy of Arts in 1983.