Charity sale of Nina Raber-Urgessa painting

An oil by the contemporary figurative painter Nina Raber-Urgessa (b.1982) will be offered for sale to benefit Raber-Urgessa’s chosen charity together with Saatchi Yates. Chiswick Auctions will offer the painting for sale on April 18 as part of their Post-War and Contemporary Art auction.

All proceeds from the sale of the painting, that is estimated at £4,000-6,000, will go to the Association for Women’s Sanctuary and Development (AWSAD), a non-profit organisation established to advance women’s social and economic development in Ethiopia. The charity is particularly involved in the provision of rehabilitation and reintegration services for survivors of domestic violence. It currently runs six safe houses across different regions of Ethiopia and has supported over 5,000 women and girls.

Die Kopffüsslerin 1 (Mami), measuring 60 x 60cm, shows a contorted face – typical of Raber-Urgessa’ colourful, broad brush images that reflect the trial and triumphs of women across the globe.

Born in Bodensee, South Germany, Raber-Urgessa, moved with her family to her husband’s homeland in 2022. Having exhibited in Germany and at the Saatchi Yates Gallery in London, the title of the exhibition she held at Moa Anbessa Art Studio Gallery in Kazanches in March was ‘The Wife Of’. It speaks volumes as that is how Nina was mentioned in a German article about her husband Tesfaye, now a prominent artist on the African contemporary scene.