NADA New York 2023

“It wasn’t the first time” is one in a series of new acrylic on cotton mattress cover paintings attached to metal bed frames by the artist, which will be making their debut at the fair. In these works Wube — a New York-based artist born in Ethiopia — contends with issues of displacement and the recent War in Ethiopia, as well as the role of the news media in people’s perception and understanding of the events in his homeland. Imagery depicting the war as portrayed by the media in its news cycles or social media posts is painted by the artist onto common Ethiopian mattress fabrics upon which, Wube says, “millions literally dream every night.” The fabric is stretched across a bed frame that stands upright against a wall, making the underside, the traditional pattern of the sheet, viewable as well when seen from other angles.

In “It wasn’t the first time,” human figures — each wearing a mask representing a national animal from one of the countries said to be involved in the conflict — float without orientation within the canvas. The painted red background suggests a state of emergency. The figures appear to be wearing military camouflage, which upon closer look is revealed as the exposed patterns of the mattress cover. With raised index fingers the characters point at each other, attempting to deflect blame. Dice with the number 5 visible on all sides point to the predictability of the outcome.

“Heightened by the opinions of various national and international media outlets, unbiased information on the conflict seemed unobtainable. The paintings are constructed using a twin-bed format to connect a collective experience to an individual one. The mattress fabrics used as the surface of the paintings are common throughout Ethiopia, and their patterns are easily recognized by many. […} On these mattresses millions spend one-third of their lives, accompanying them through the cycle of life, birth, death, dreams…”— Ezra Wube