Biography
Henok Melkamzer studied telsem in a monastery in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, for 16 years and also learned the intricacies of the practice firsthand from his father and grandfather, who were both telsem healers. Henok maintains an intimate interest in preserving telsem within his community and bringing the art form to new audiences.
Henok’s work has been shown in both solo and group exhibitions. His most recent solo exhibition, Men Neber (2018), was presented at the Modern Art Museum in Addis Ababa. A commissioned artist for the Second Lahore Biennial (2020) and a participant in the conference Ethiopia: Modern Nation – Ancient Roots (2022) at The Africa Institute, Sharjah, Melkamzer has received international acclaim as a proponent of telsem and an advocate for his cultural heritage.
