Dawit Adnew is an Ethiopian painter based in Addis Ababa whose work creates sumptuous, dream-like images that explore visual rhythm and silent narrative. Born in 1973, he studied at the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design in Addis Ababa, where he received formal training that would later be infused with influences from his early career as a textile designer. This background in textile design has proved central to his artistic practice, giving him a deep familiarity with pattern, ornamentation, and the interplay of colour and surface texture that are defining elements in his paintings. 

Dawit’s first presentation at Addis Fine Art’s Addis Ababa gallery, Silent Dialogues (2022), brought his work into dialogue with that of his contemporary Seyoum Ayalew, situating him within a generation of Ethiopian painters engaged in shared questions of form, interiority, and social space. His first European solo exhibition, Woven Moments, was presented at Addis Fine Art’s London gallery in 2023. Since then, Dawit’s paintings have featured in a range of group exhibitions and art fairs, including 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London (2022), as well as Connected Threads: Contemporary Art from the Horn of Africa and Diaspora in New York (2024), both presented by Addis Fine Art.