Pictured Above: Tahawedo (One God) In a somewhat more classical
spiritual piece of artwork, Salassie examines the nature of God. Using
as his inspiration 1Timothy 3:16, which reads "And without great controversy
is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in
the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the world, and recieved up to
glory..." F-Sellassie examines through art the mysteries of monotheism.
The artist depicts men worshipping God in a temple, showing in the work
all of the elements of God described in Romans 3:16. In the temple, a stained-glass
portrayal of Jesus in the background and a painting of angels allude to
Jesus and the appearance of angels on earth. The central figure in the
painting is seen preaching to the congregation, and his presence seems
to represent both the fact that God was preached to the world and the recieved
up to glory. Evidence of the spirit lies in the devoted worshippers who
pray to God within the confines of the temple. An excellent addition to
our gallery, this painting's lifelike use of colors and classic styling
portray a different dimension of African art in general, not to mention
African religious art. Moving with ease from realism to the abstract, F-Sellassie
uses soft lighting and vibrant colors to make the depiction more lifelike. This piece was a late addition to the exhibit, but was chosen to contrast with some of the more abstract works.
