Born in Axum, Ethiopia 1973, Assefa Gebrekidan lives and Works in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His sculptural installations are grounded in graphic composition and drawing from life. Gebrekidan trained in sculpture at the Addis Ababa University School of Fine Arts and Design, where he was introduced to Russian constructivist sculpture. Ethiopia had political links with Russia in the late 20th century. After graduating in 1996, for several years he taught art in the Mekele Fina Art School in the north of the country. In this period he made large temporary sculptures in unfired clay which he arranged and photographed against the sky, before destroying them. Returning to Addis Ababa, he experimented with Works incorporating found materials and light in darkened spaces. His solo exhibition 'Light and Dark', took place at Zoma Contemporary Art Centre, Addis Ababa in 2003. In 2004 he exhibited in the Dak-Art Biennial, Dakar, Senegal and Le Lieu Unique, Nantes, France and made his first international solo exhibition 'A Glimmer of Hope' at Camden Arts Centre, 2005.