Wosene Worke Kosrof was born in the dynamic center of Addis Ababa, Arat Kilo, in 1950. He completed a BFA at the Addis School of Fine Arts in 1972 and an MFA at Howard University in 1980. He is the first Ethiopian-born artist to use Amharic script forms in contemporary fine art, and this “WordPlay” has become the internationally recognized signature of his paintings. Central to his work are also the rhythms, riffs, counterpoints, and improvisations of jazz. The works of Wosene (his professional name) are in many permanent museum and private collections worldwide. He resides and has his studio in Berkeley, California. (updated 10/2022)