At Gracelawn Cemetery in the city of Edmond, Oklahoma State, the final resting place of one of Ethiopia’s most influential modernist artists, Gebre-Kristos Desta, remains unassuming. A simple stone bears his name—no inscription, no tribute beyond the engraving. But soon, that will change. Plans are underway to enlarge the tomb and inscribe a biography that befits the legacy of the painter, poet, and thinker, ensuring that visitors can grasp the significance of the man laid to rest here.
Yet the most striking tribute to the artist—who spent his final years in exile and died in 1981 at the age of 50 in Lawton, Okla.—is set to take shape not in stone, but in vibrant color. A large-scale mural, inspired by Gebre-Kristos’s signature style, is being created in his honor.
“It’s going to be a strikingly colorful and poetic mural, featuring Gebre Kristos’ signature floral and circular motifs beneath a flock of migratory birds. The imagery symbolizes his journey as a migrant artist, a man who lived and died far from home,” Bekele Mekonnen, an associate professor at Ale Fine Arts School at Addis Ababa University told the Reporter Magazine.
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Under Bekele’s guidance, students from the University of Oklahoma have been working on the mural, which will be installed in Norman, Okla. The project has received full financial backing from a private donor, who also provided the space. The mural is expected to be inaugurated in May.
“The ultimate goal is to strengthen cultural ties between Ethiopia and the United States,” Bekele explained. “We want to draw people’s attention to the Gebre Kristos Desta Museum in Addis Ababa, where visitors can experience his extraordinary works—including his renowned Crucifix—firsthand.”
Alongside the mural, an iron plaque will be installed detailing the artist’s life and work. Bekele expressed his gratitude to Oklahoma officials, university scholars, and donors who made the project possible.
This artistic bridge between Oklahoma and Ethiopia, he noted, has historical roots. In 1954, Ethiopia’s last emperor, Haile Selassie I, visited Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where he was honored with what was described as the most elaborate banquet ever hosted at the institution. It was during this visit that he secured support for the establishment of Haramaya and Jimma universities in Ethiopia.
“There are still faculty members who recall that visit—the banquet held in his honor was said to be the most elaborate the university had ever hosted,” Bekele said. “It was during that trip that the emperor secured American support for establishing Haramaya and Jimma universities.”
Celebrating a legacy, uncovering lost works
March has now been officially designated as Gebre-Kristos Desta Month, a recognition born from collaboration between the University of Oklahoma and the Gebre-Kristos Desta Modern Art Museum in Addis Ababa. As part of the commemoration, both institutions will host an annual poetry festival, held simultaneously in Ethiopia and the United States, allowing audiences in both countries to engage with one another in real-time.
On March 8, in both Addis Ababa and Norman, Okla., gatherings took place to celebrate the life and legacy of Gebre-Kristos Desta. Attendees recited poetry, shared old and new stories about the artist, and heard a live video testimony from an American official in Norman.
Among those featured were Emily Burns (PhD), director of the Charles Russell Center for the Study of the American West, and Kate Cowcher (PhD), an art historian specializing in modern and contemporary Ethiopian art. Both scholars had visited Ethiopia, and in their research, they made a remarkable discovery: a long-overlooked painting of a Fanos—a traditional lantern—that was, in fact, the work of Gebre-Kristos.
“Emily and Kate traveled to Lawton in search of GKD’s story,” said Bekele. “There, they uncovered one of his lost paintings.”
The celebration in Addis Ababa took place under a white canopy pitched on the grounds of the university’s Faculty of Business and Economics, drawing artists, fans, invited guests, and members of Gebre-Kristos’s family.
The Gebre-Kristos Desta Modern Art Museum was established in 2009 with a dual purpose: to house the artist’s works and to serve as a permanent exhibition space and educational hub. The museum’s building itself carries historical significance—it was once the residence of Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen, son of the Emperor.
Currently, 30 of Gebre-Kristos’s works are on permanent display, including The Crucifix, a striking rendition of Jesus on the cross, painted in bold red lines.
The museum owes its existence in large part to the late Professor Andreas Eshete, who, during his tenure as president of Addis Ababa University, led efforts to recover Gebre-Kristos’s artworks from Germany. When the artist moved to the United States, he had entrusted his collection to his brother, a diplomat in Germany. For years, the paintings remained locked away in his brother’s home—until Andreas intervened.
“It was an extraordinary feat,” Bekele said. “People in the Ethiopian art community joke that it’s easier to smuggle missiles out of Europe than to repatriate original artworks.”
To facilitate the transfer, Andreas brokered a deal: in exchange for the return of the paintings, Germany was offered a historical property in Addis Ababa. The agreement led to the renovation of two buildings—one transformed into the Gebre-Kristos Desta Modern Art Museum, and the other into the Goethe-Institut, Germany’s cultural center in Ethiopia. The German government invested EUR 450,000 in the project.
Today, the museum not only preserves Gebre-Kristos’s surviving works but also serves as a platform for contemporary and emerging artists. With its collection of priceless pieces, it has become one of Addis Ababa’s must-visit cultural destinations, attracting both local and international visitors eager to experience the legacy of Ethiopia’s modernist pioneer.
