Ahead of the World Public Summit Africa, an exhibition of the Women of Africa in Art award winners was opened in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia.

The Golla Gallery, in Addis Ababa, hosted the opening of the exhibition featuring finalists and winners of the African Women in Art Award (AWAA) 2025.

The project was organised in partnership with the World Peoples Assembly, the “Her Voice Foundation”, and the I-A Gallery of Contemporary African Art. The exhibition gathered together works by artists from six African countries: Angola, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zambia.

Its central theme, “Initiation” extends beyond traditional anthropological or ritual interpretations within the framework of the award. In this context, initiation is understood as a process of inner transition: from one state to another, from socially assigned roles to personal choice, and from lived experience to its reflection and interpretation.

It may take the form of coming of age, professional self-determination, traumatic experience, or moments of inner rupture. The works reflect on how identity is formed, and not as a fixed condition, but as an evolving and deeply individual process.

Krista Uvaze, winner in the Mixed Visual Media category, shared her perspective:

“This is a unique opportunity for women artists to present their work beyond their home countries. This year’s theme, ‘Initiation,’ allowed me to show works that would have been difficult to present in another context.”

The AWAA is developing as a professional platform that provides women artists with access to international exhibition projects, collaborations, and institutional recognition. It is grounded in the principles of cultural dialogue, gender equality, and expanding opportunities for women whose work remains underrepresented on the global art scene.

The project was implemented with the participation of the “Her Voice Foundation”, registered in Zambia, which combined cultural initiatives with educational and social programs across African countries.

Today, the Foundation supports more than 200 girls by providing access to education, while the total number of participants in its programs exceeds 950. Among the exhibiting artists is Ethiopian painter Selamawit Gebretsadik, whose practice is informed by her background in social work. Her compositions dissolve boundaries between human figures, plant forms, and landscape, creating a continuous visual field in which the figure exists in relation to its environment.

Source: Global Research