White Cube Announces Representation of Tesfaye Urgessa, Debut Exhibition in Hong Kong
The Facts
White Cube has announced its representation of Ethiopian painter Tesfaye Urgessa (b. 1983). His debut exhibition with the gallery will open at White Cube Hong Kong on 9 September 2026, following his first solo museum presentation in Asia at Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing, which runs until 9 August 2026. A painting by Urgessa, 'Fiber of grace (Schutz) 2' (2025), will also be on view at the 2026 edition of Frieze Seoul. Urgessa was the first artist to represent Ethiopia in its inaugural national pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia in 2024. He lives and works between Addis Ababa and Nürtingen, Germany, and trained in painting in Addis Ababa and at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Stuttgart, drawing on influences from Ethiopian iconographic traditions, German Expressionism, and artists such as Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud.
The Signal
The representation signals a significant step for Urgessa, whose works are held in collections including the Brooklyn Museum, Castello di Rivoli, and the Uffizi Galleries. White Cube's addition of the artist underscores a growing institutional and market focus on contemporary African painters, particularly those engaging with themes of migration, familial relations, and community. The Hong Kong exhibition, featuring new paintings and works on paper, positions Urgessa for greater visibility in Asia, a key market for both the gallery and the artist's expanding international profile.
- Artists: Tesfaye Urgessa
- Galleries: White Cube
- Museums: Red Brick Art Museum
- Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing
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