JULIE MEHRETU Easy Dark, 2017

Julie Mehretu (b. 1970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) is an artist known for her layered abstract paintings and prints inspired by global urban landscapes. Born to an Ethiopian professor and an American teacher, she moved to Michigan in 1977. She earned a BA from Kalamazoo College, studied in Senegal, and completed an MFA at RISD in 1997. Mehretu moved to New York in 1999 and now shares a studio with artist Jessica Rankin. Her large-scale works combine acrylic paint, pencil, ink, and thick paint layers, incorporating architectural features and geographical elements like maps and stadium designs. Her drawings often serve as studies for her paintings.