Ethiopian native turned Sioux Falls artist Eyob Mergia is showcasing his latest works in the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery this month.
Mergia moved to Sioux Falls from Adas Ababa, Ethiopa in 1997. He obtained an art degree from Augustana and gained recognition for his exhibition in honor of 9/11, as well as several murals he has done around town.
"Eyob Mergia is one of the most exciting artists in our region, and we had been looking forward to exhibiting his work for a number of years," said art professor and gallery director Lindsay Twa.
This exhibit is entitled "Axum," the ancient capital city of Ethiopa. Axum was one of the first cities to officially adopt Christianity and is the legendary home of the Ark of the Covenant.
"I thought the art exhibit was an intriguing representation of Mergia's heritage," said sophomore Laura Foiles, who works in the gallery. "I really got a sense of Ethiopia while still seeing the Western influences."
The pieces are inspired by a variety of artistic influences, such as Baroque realism, cubism and impressionistic abstraction.
Many of the pieces deal with religious subjects. One painting, "Deluge," depicts the Egyptian army being swallowed up by the water during the parting of the Red Sea.
"I wanted to show the power of that flood, the crushing water," Mergia said in the artist's statement. "I wanted to study the anatomy of the horses as they are unbalanced and thrown."
Most of the gallery consists of oil paintings with the exception of "Genesis," a large charcoal drawing that details the beginnings of the earth.
"Drawing is very exciting for me," Mergia said in his statement. "I have been drawing all my life, and I think my ability as a painter benefits a lot from that experience. Drawing is the backbone of my painting."
The piece is the largest by far in a series of large paintings and takes up the entire back wall of the gallery.
"The new gallery, with its increased wall space and elevated ceilings, is a perfect venue for exhibiting Mergia's most recent, large-scale works," Twa said.
The show will be on display in the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery until Friday, March 12.
"The exhibit is very diverse," Foiles said. "The abstract pieces placed together under one concept or the more realistic paintings that cause the eye to wander throughout the massive canvas. The colors and lines keep the audience looking for new pictures to pop out and surprise them."
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