“I did not choose to be a refugee” – A Visual Art Exhibition by Michael Adonai – Tune in on today’s Assenna Radio Program for the First Extended Interview of the Famous Eritrean Artist
Commemorating World Refugee Day, I Did Not Choose to be a Refugee reflects upon Eritrean artist, Michael Adonai’s journey and experience fleeing his homeland of Eritrea, to his settlement in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Through the exhibition Adonai reflects
Commemorating World Refugee Day, I Did Not Choose to be a Refugee reflects upon Eritrean artist, Michael Adonai’s journey and experience fleeing his homeland of Eritrea, to his settlement
in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Through the exhibition Adonai reflects and pays tribute to the Lampedusa boat tragedy that claimed the lives of 359 asylum seekers on the 3rd of October 2013. Many of the victims were Eritrean, who had fled their country on a dangerous journey across the Sahara Desert where the risks of death, rape and torture were common place. In particular the exhibition pays homage to an Eritrean woman, seven months pregnant, who prematurely gave birth to a baby boy while drowning. When rescue divers pulled them from the sea-bed, the mother and baby were still connected by the umbilical cord.
Adonai gives voice to the many victims who are forced to take such perilous journeys, risking their own, and their children’s lives for the chance of safety and a life free from persecution. Through his fine brush strokes and traditional Coptic Art techniques he paints their silent cries; “I did not choose to endanger my unborn baby’s life, I did not choose to face an unpredictable future, I did not choose to be a refugee”.
As one of the most celebrated contemporary Eritrean artists, with over 30 years’ experience, including international showings and accolades, Adonai is proud to present his first solo exhibition in Australia since his arrival in November 2012.
I Did Not Choose to be a Refugee is presented as part of Emerge Festival 2014, which presents new refugee and emerging artists who have recently settled in Australia. From May 17 – July 5, Multicultural Arts Victoria will celebrate the 11th anniversary of Emerge Festival, showcasing talented artists from Melbourne’s emerging refugee communities and the diverse cultures that have woven colourful and intricate patterns into the identity of our unique city.
Event Details – FREE EVENT
Date: Saturday 14 June – Friday 27 June
Launch: Friday 13 June 7pm
Venue: Louis Joel Arts & Community Centre – 5 Sargood Street, Altona
Gallery Hours: 10am to 4pm, Open 7 Days
I Did Not Choose to be a Refugee is presented by Louis Joel Art & Community Centre in partnership with Multicultural Arts Victoria
From: Saturday 14th of June 2014 To Friday 27th of June 2014
Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm
Venue
Joel Gallery | Louis Joel Arts & Community Centre
5 Sargood St Altona Victoria Australia | Map 
Telephone: 9932 1142
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Web Links
I did not choose to be a refugee
Source: onlymelbourne.com
araya May 12, 2014
Good job mike, we are on your side,,,
sandro May 12, 2014
well done, Michael Adonai! i look forward to hearing your interview with the one and only first rate Eritrean journalist Amanuel Eyasu! AMAZING! when two great minds and great artists get the chance to talk to each other they will have a wide ranging of issues to explore and discuss. it’s gonna be rich i can tell. and so inspiring and enriching! keep up the heat guys! well done, Assenna!
Solomon May 12, 2014
very great Job Michael /Wedi Adona / I realy cry when I see the Picture of the baby and his mother,the unlucky baby born just to die.
hope Wedi Adonay to be a voice of the voiceless Victimes,of Eritreans your work is very helpfull to the Eritrean ppl.Remimeber MichaEl your Times in strugle for ur ppl. Ni Esnetka Abrekatat sahil kem Zehlefka Nihzbika Ilka Nifelto Ina,, Iti Meririn Tsinkurn Kunet gin Nehzbi Eritrea deykones Niwlke Melaki Kem Zemzitekeyere AytiresiE P/s Nihzbika Aberabir great ppl like U can make a defference. good luck MichaEl hawna proud of you.
Stefanos Temolso May 12, 2014
We are proud of you Mike. Keep the good job forward. I wish you Luck and success and I know that an artists job unlike the many artists under PFDJ is to be guided by his conscience. I know Mike as a person and he has a clean conscienece. You are a man who can do kiracles with your talent! Again I wish you all the best!!
Bokre May 12, 2014
We are proud of you for being the voice of the voiceless. May God bless you abundantly.
rahwa May 12, 2014
thank you Michael Adonai for talking to Assenna. what an inspiring interview! keep on enlightening us brothers. i was so moved by the whole interview. but what broke my heart most was the fact that the artist (who is also an amazing writer and a very very articulate speaker) let us into his soul. that shows how strong and confident he is not only as an artist but also as a human being. finally, when the interview got to its peak i felt so energized and i was beaming with pride. why? simply because i am an Eritrean.
Yerhiwo May 12, 2014
Thank you Michael Adonai! God bless you and I wish you success in your life!
THE NOBLE TEACHER May 12, 2014
“ናይ ኣምሓሩ ብርስን (ዓደስ) ኤርትራ ድልይልይ ካብ ሃገራውነትና ኣየዘንግዓናን እዩ”
እዚ መስፍን በቀለ ዝተባህለ ንፉዕ ደራፋይ ኣብዛ “Mesfin Bekele Peace to ERI and ETHIO መስፍን በቀለ ሰላም ለኢትዮዽያና “You tube ዝደርፋ፣ሰላም ይሕሸና___ሰላማዊ ርክብ ምስ ንገብር ጥራይ እዩ ንምዕብል ዝብል ፣ኤርትራዊ መንፈስን ወጅሃትን ዘይብሉ ዕሸላውን ዘሕንኽን ደርፊ ምድራፉ__እታ ትማሊ ባሕራ ዘይረኸብዋ ኤርትራ ሕጂ ካብቲ ናይ ብርስን (ዓደስ) ሃብታ ንምብዝባዝ እዚ ዓይነት ደርፍታት ምድራፎም መሕጸር ጸጕሪ ርእስና ምዃኑ ክፈልጥዎ ይግባእ፣ኤርትራ ከደት ማለት ክሳድኩም ተቖሩጹ ማለት እዩ።
ብዘይ ኤርትራ ኣብ ትበጽሕዎ የብልኩምን። ወይለይ____ድሓን ረስዑዋ እዛ ናይ መጨረሻ !!!
hadnet May 12, 2014
Anta noble teacher…kemey wiElka entebelukas entatE yzerE aleku gerkaya…I don’t know what do hell you are taking about… if you have a comment on mekeal adonay well and good otherwise get out of here.
TwoWayStreet May 13, 2014
There are those who come here for a genuine conversation with an open mind to try to convince you or be convinced by you. Weather they are on your side or your opposite side doesn’t matter as long as they have a genuine issue, concern or stance with an open mind. For such participants I say try to engage with them and have a genuine conversation without calling names. And there are people like NOBEL TEACHER, who come here for distraction, their main aim to disturb the smooth flow of information, take you out from the main issue, or the article at hand. They use different tactics like calling names, bringing side issues etc. For such participants I say ignor them, don’t even try to respond to them, don’t call them names, don’t engage with them, make them feel that they are talking alone.
As for Wedi Adonay I say “AS ALWAYS YOU ARE ON THE SIDE OF THE ERITREAN PEOPLE” Keep it up.
THE NOBLE TEACHER May 14, 2014
Thank you for ignoring me ,but learn to tolerate other peoples opinion.
You are insulting Eritreans to think they have unstable concentrstion to be distracted by little old me.
thanks
Genet-orginal May 14, 2014
TwoWayStreet
Good point!
I agree
Haile G. Tensae May 12, 2014
Micheal Adonai
It is a great work and keep doing the you way of explaining for the voiceless.