ERITREAN artist Michael Adonai says he is obligated to tell the world of his country’s situation
In 1977, at the age of 15, Adonai joined the Eritrean People's Liberation Front. Much of his early work centres on his experiences as a "freedom fighter". Now a world-renowned artist, Adonai has won Eritrea's top art
In 1977, at the age of 15, Adonai joined the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front.
Much of his early work centres on his experiences as a “freedom fighter”.
Now a world-renowned artist, Adonai has won Eritrea’s top art prize and exhibited internationally, including at a United Nations-sponsored global art show in New York.
Adonai, who lives in Werribee, is exhibiting prints of his paintings at Altona’s Joel Gallery until Friday.
The originals remain in Eritrea, from where he was forced to flee in November.
“My solo exhibition was supposed to be in January at Federation Square, but the situation back home forced me to leave earlier,” he says.
“I came on November 1 because there was a very bad political situation in Eritrea and someone, a head official from Eritrea, told me to leave the country to save myself.
“I didn’t bring my original work because I ran away from my country because of the political situation.”
Adonai says his country’s culture is his favourite subject matter, but painting about politics is inescapable.
“Some of my paintings are political because I am living in a volatile area of east Africa, so it’s unavoidable for me as an artist and a citizen to express my inner feelings. The situation is really deteriorating.
“We have had this deterioration in Eritrea for this past eight years. We don’t have any free press, elections, no constitution. Even now in Eritrea, there are massive arrests.
“There was also an army mutiny in Eritrea these past two or three months. It was not a successful mutiny because they started to arrest a lot of people and the Eritrea area is known for its cruelty.
“Art for me, it’s my life. That’s my life: whether it’s under this cruel Eritrean regime . . . for me, it’s an obligation.”
Wyndham Council has given Adonai studio space and in return he will pass on his skills.
“I have volunteered to help my community, to teach promising young artists, to share my experiences with them.”
More details: michael adonai.com or 0470 592 548
picasso of eritrea April 11, 2013
eritrea’s most prominent painter, a galant son of the struggle for national liberation has been obliged to flee the very country for which he sacrificed his entire young Life. This is a clear illustration of the fact that the isaias grouping ist not only hollow and bankrupt, but also a clear Indication of how its barbaric socio-political and economic modus operandi, if at all it has one, has become unbearable even to the most unpretentious and very humble segments of society. At the same time, it also shows that the grouping has lost all legitimacy, is totally naked and baseless. lt is even weaker than the Mobutu regime in its final days.
The question is: are we eritreans
eseyas April 11, 2013
habte denqore kusab Hjo zeirdua nata hqdef hmaq msrah surohom eyu ente nsom mdfaf gn dnqurnet eyu!
belay nega April 11, 2013
MICHIEL ADONAY
“I came on November 1 because there was a very bad political situation in Eritrea and someone, a head official from Eritrea, told me to leave the country to save myself.”
UNLESS YOU COPYING MEHEYEDIN SHNGHEB DON’T YOU THINK IS A RISKY TO EVERY BODY WHOM YOU WERE FRIEND TO, BE SUSPECTED BY THE REGIME AND RISK THEIR LIFE?
Hgig April 11, 2013
You wrote my thoughts, but thats what an asylum seeker had to say to be granted… Even though he was one of them, better late than never. I am still waiting for his friend Ali-Abdu to come out,too.
Genet April 11, 2013
MR NEGA
THIS IS A SIGN FOR YOU TO COME TO YOUR SENSES AND TO SAND UP FOR YOUR PEOPLE. REJECT THE PFDJ REGIME. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT ERITREAN, IT IS HUMAN TO REJECT THE PFDJ REGIME. THE TIME HAS COME FOR PFDJ REGIME TO STAND TRIAL. AS WE ALL KNOW MR NEGA NOHTNG IS FOR EVER.
Your sister Genet
belay nega April 11, 2013
ghenet
“THIS IS A SIGN FOR YOU TO COME TO YOUR SENSES AND TO SAND UP FOR YOUR PEOPLE. REJECT THE PFDJ REGIME.”
I BEING TELLING YOU I AM NOT HEGDEF AND I WILL NEVER BE
I JUST LIKE TO ACCEPT AND LIVE IN REALITY
IF YOUR CONCERN IS ABOUT MY COMMENT ON MICAEL ADONAY, WHAT I MEANT IS HE SHOULD BE MORE CONSIDERATE TO PEOPLE HE LEFT BEHIND HIM
Genet April 11, 2013
MR NEGA
DO YOU THINK MAY BE YOU HAVE A PERSONALITY DISORDER? I AM ASKING YOU THIS OUT OF CONCERN FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. PERSONALITY DISORDER IS DIFFICULT ON FAMILY. YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY DISORDER, THEN I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON YOUR POINT. “I JUST LIKE TO ACCEPT AND LIVE IN REALITY” WHAT IS THAT MEAN? ARE YOU DEAD?. LIKE A DEAD ZAMBIE? WE ERITREAN, DON’T LIKE JUST ACCEPT THINGS. WE CHANGE REALITY. WE DON’T REST UNTIL WE CHANGE IT FOR THE BETTER FOR OUR PEOPLE. WHEN OUR YOUNG BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE BEING KILLED IN A COLD BLOODY MURDER, WE DON’T ACCEPT AND LIVE IN REALTIY. WE CHANGE REALITY. AGAIN LOOK AT THE SIGNS.
Genet
Zerai April 11, 2013
Ghenet
Despite i can be pleased of Mr Belay Nega for feeling humanity and trying to come to his sense, right now, what he wrote or said was the same the majority of the people who are quitting whilst they are listening and seeing the horrible Rashaida collaborating with pFDJ…i do find more people like Mr Nega who said, they want to live quality of life or simple without any position, ho! they are more shame and are the most criminal. They don’t understand silence is crime specially in this time.
Whilst some of us come from far away to condemn PFDJ agents and its action, most of the people i said, are living hear the place where demonstration are taking place and never been bothered to come or to speak as an Eritreans. They are of course the most criminal i can say.
Things will be changed and i am sure that, they will be of course questioned.
Most of them were passed through EYpte Libya…etc and most were in the training in Sawa…they escaped and they feel when they are coming here, like they did more than anyone and they don’t care to come condemning to the regime that they were escaped.
They should know that, thisngs will be changed and their service in sawa or other place, we can not recognize it any more, because they cover their eyes when they are in the free domocratic countries, we can not accept their serviceness, they are so dead, pFdj superters are better than them.
belay nega April 11, 2013
GHENET
“DO YOU THINK MAY BE YOU HAVE A PERSONALITY DISORDER? I AM ASKING YOU THIS OUT OF CONCERN FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. PERSONALITY DISORDER IS DIFFICULT ON FAMILY. YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT”
IF YOU CAN ELABORATE IT BETTER I AM READY TO ANSWER
“WE ERITREAN, DON’T LIKE JUST ACCEPT THINGS. WE CHANGE REALITY. WE DON’T REST UNTIL WE CHANGE IT FOR THE BETTER FOR OUR PEOPLE.”
WE,HAFASH…. ETC REMIND ME MY MORON TIME
WHATEVER YOU MENTIONED BELONG TO PART PARTICIPLE, BEFORE YOU GUYS TURN TO BE SPOKESPERSON OF ETHIOPIANS
picasso of eritrea April 11, 2013
The despot is completely naked. Even the most unpretentious and very humble Eritreans like Michael Adonay, the most renowned painter in the country and a galant son of the liberation struggle, have yielded and decided to abandon
the savage empire of the pfdj grouping. This clearly Illustrates that the grouping is not only hollow and bankrupt, but also weak, illegitimate and without any meaningful popular base. The isaias grouping is even weaker than the Mobutu regime was in its final days. How to accelerate its imminent demise is now the big issue faced by the people of Eritrea and meaningful opposition organisations.
selam April 11, 2013
you are not only artist or freedom fighter you are the face of eritrea so please don’t stop fighting through art.art the best weapon in the modern world and don’t forget we are always and always are beside you let’s push all together for real freedom
Romay Abraham April 11, 2013
We wish you the best Michael Adonai
Kokob Abraham April 11, 2013
Well done
Genet April 11, 2013
THANK YOU MICHAEL ADONAI!
YOUR PEOPLE IN ERITREA INCLUDING THE YOUNG ERITREAN WHO ARE PLUNGED IN A NATIONAL SERVICE INDEFINITELY, BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF THE DAY YOU REJECTED THE PFDJ REGIME. PLEASE DON’T KEEP SILENt. YOU ARE A POWER FULL INFLUENTIAL ERITREAN WHO IS ARMED WITH ARTISTIC TALENT, AND ERITREAN ARE COUNTING ON YOU. THANK YOU FOR VALIDATING OUR CRY AND CONCERN FOR OUR PEOPLE AND THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY.
Genet
mihre April 11, 2013
Let me dare say that we Eritreans are the weakest people in this 21 century,who can never react to the dictator isaias.
For our right and justice the so called G-15 arrested before 12 years.No eritrean can question about these great patriots either from inside or outside the country.
The most surprising thing,when eritrean reach europe or USA,they just ignore all the suffering,hunger,torture and so on.They just attend any meeting organised by the devil regime and clap and clap for them.
I can not have enough words to mention the suffering our people facing with this mad man.
mashela April 11, 2013
michael adonay
u r welcome bro. befor u arrested by this cruel regim . eritrean ppl need u right now cos we need to learn through ur painting the lesson we have to learn . as we learn in paltalk with speech we neeed to learn too by painting .and describe ur feeling which could heel the regim cruelity. u r fighter hero and painting hero . i have seen ur living painting and i used to admire u .love u bro