Filmon Adelehey (b. 1990, Eritrea)

“I have always been interested in the challenge of expressing the living essence of human beings in their totality, and I always wanted to use portraits to form more of my art. In my artwork, I don’t just want to paint a face but to be able to depict emotions, attitudes, character, intentions, and moods.”

Filmon Adelehey was born and raised in Asmara, the capitol city of Eritrea. His father drove a delivery truck and his mother took care of their apartment, him, and his four brothers and sisters. As a child of six or seven, he developed an interest in drawing and using burnt bits of wood, would draw on walls of his neighborhood’s buildings. Within a short time, he discovered color and was able to use colored pencils and crayons to create portraits on these same walls. At the age of fourteen, outside of his academic classes, he enrolled in an art school in Asmara. The class was comprised of local university art students, whereas Adelehey was the equivalent of a freshman in an American high school. Upon completion of the school’s courses, he graduated within a year. For the next ten years he dedicated himself to his art, hopeful of one day becoming a professional artist. Intent on delving more deeply into his subject as an artist portraying the human experience, he observed people – his family, neighbors, friends, strangers – attentive to their faces, the emotional content of their character.

Eventually Adelehey was exhibiting in Asmara galleries. But the Eritrean government maintains control of artistic expression and it has to pass the strict ideological requirements of censors. In 2015, he was chosen along with two of his countrymen to exhibit at the Beijing International Art Biennial, “a platform for upcoming artists from different countries to share ideas and showcase their artistic works”, proudly representing his country, Eritrea. The young artist found himself increasingly uncomfortable with government censorship of the arts; censorship that mandated that public art commissions he’d received be in service of the government, and not free expression – something Adelehey couldn’t tolerate.

“As an artist, I was not too fond of the denial of freedom of speech and expression because this was partly what my work entailed – expression.”

“Ever since I was introduced to portrait art, I have realized that it takes up a challenging, yet exciting task in integrating the feelings in real life with my canvas, and this attracts me. It is the unexpected that gives a painting the quality of being special. As an artist, I believe that art as a method of communication, it can create positive changes in our way of life. I want to be part of that change.” – Filmon K. Adelehey

In early 2016, the artist began to consider immigrating to a country open to the artistic expression he craved. Scanning online for other juried art festivals or shows, he submitted photos to various international arts organizations, annuals, and biennials. Ultimately, he was invited to participate in the Arts in Nature Festival in West Seattle, in August of that year. Securing a visa, Filmon Adelehey moved to Seattle.

The young artist supported himself with various commissions, participation in a several group shows, and driving an Uber at night.

Adelehey was invited by Frederick Holmes And Company Gallery to participate in a group show, VISUAL LEGACY, in 2019; and another group show, IMMIGRANTS SONGS, in March 2020. Since then the artist and gallery have reached an agreement of exclusive representation of Adelehey in the Pacific Northwest. His paintings have been purchased by private collectors in the Seattle metropolitan region and around the country. Recently, his painting, “HEALING” was acquired by public utility, Seattle City Light for their collection.