BIOGRAPHY

Gebrelu Dessu was born in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, in northeastern Africa, in 1965. After graduating from the Addis Ababa Fine Art School with a degree in Mural Art in 1987, and a brief stint in civil engineering, he continued to gain experience in different media using different materials and styles, including plate making, painting and etching.

From 1988 to 1998, Gebrelu worked as a graphic artist in Ethiopian the Ministry of Health, before taking the next step to becoming a freelance studio artist at the Godown Arts Center in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2004, Gebrelu took up residence in San Diego, California.

Gebrelu has exhibited his artwork in Italy, Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and the United States.