What It’s Like To…Run an Art Gallery in Addis Ababa

Gebeyehu, a photographer who is also part of the OkayAfrica social team, grew up in a creative household with a writer and theater director father, but she didn’t immediately turn to art. “I knew creative stuff could be a career, but I didn't know how feasible it was in our country,” she says. Initially studying engineering, Gebeyehu later switched to journalism and photography. During the pandemic, she took a job, where she met Yaynu. “It was one of those moments of destiny — we clicked instantly,” she recalls.

Since opening Studio 11, Gebeyehu and Yaynu have hosted six exhibitions featuring Ethiopian female artists, including By A Thread, a solo exhibition by 24-year-old Tsion Mehari that is currently on display. Mehari’s portraits, painted on wallpaper — a medium she discovered during her family’s home renovation — are a unique highlight of the exhibit.

In parts edited for length and clarity, Gebeyehu and Yaynu reflect on their journey with Studio 11 — how they have built it into a welcoming space that is reshaping the artistic scene in Addis Ababa and offering both inspiration and opportunity to a new generation of Ethiopian artists.

Yaynu: I left [the company where we met] after a couple of months and started a small painting studio, which naturally became our main hangout spot. We're just together all the time. So one day I just asked her, ‘Why don't we just get a bigger space and do this together?’ We could have a place where I would paint and she would work on her photography.

Gebeyehu: I didn’t hesitate. Within a week, I’d quit my job, and we found a larger space for what eventually became Studio 11. At first, it wasn’t really a gallery — it was simply a place for us to work on our own projects. We can work from there. We can host events there. And then people started asking us, ‘Is this a gallery?’ We always talked about what it's like to consume art in the city, because it feels detached and intimidating, especially for young people. And we wanted to do something that kind of breaks that, but we didn't know what to do. We just wanted to get a space together and work from there. So that's how the first space of Studio 11 was acquired.

Gebeyehu: Studio 11 wasn’t just about exhibiting art but about creating a community, especially for women artists. In Ethiopia, many female artists sometimes lack the confidence to showcase their work. We noticed that women would hesitate to promote themselves, even when their work was stunning. So, we decided to create a space where they could feel empowered and understood.

Yaynu: We quickly realized that the gender gap in the Ethiopian art scene needed to be addressed. We wanted to challenge that. For instance, when we ask a male artist to exhibit, there’s this automatic confidence. But with female artists, we often get, ‘Really? You like my work?’ It’s humbling and a bit frustrating, honestly, because they’re just as talented but don’t receive the same reinforcement.

Gebeyehu: We had this casual vision of making art more relatable. We didn’t set out to revolutionize anything, but people kept coming to us. That meant the world to us, and it became clear that we were answering a call. At first, we weren’t thinking of a business. But eventually, with the increasing foot traffic and interest, we had to get serious about licensing, taxes, and the administrative side of things.

Yaynu: That’s been a learning curve. As artists, we’re more about following the inspiration, but as business owners, we now have to balance that with responsibilities. Having employees has been critical. They help keep us grounded, especially when our heads are in ‘art mode.’ We had to accept that to make Studio 11 sustainable, we’d need a proper business model.

Gebeyehu: One of the challenges we face in Ethiopia is the lack of industry infrastructure to support creatives. There’s almost no government support, no tax incentives and limited art supplies — sometimes, we’re taxed 200 percent on art materials. Yet, despite all these challenges, we’re excited about what’s happening. There’s a movement, an energy around art in Addis right now.

Yaynu: And people are starting to recognize the value of what we’re building. One of the most fulfilling moments is seeing our artists grow. Mehari, [the young artist who is] exhibiting right now, has never displayed her work before. Through our mentorship and community support, she’s gained confidence and is even planning her next show. It’s those moments that keep us going.

Gebeyehu: For the future, we’d love to see Studio 11 as part of a larger art ecosystem, with branches in other African cities, maybe even supporting artist residencies across East Africa. We envision Studio 11 as a place where creatives can hone their craft, connect with other artists and build skills for sustainable careers. Ten years from now, we want Studio 11 to be self-sustaining and run by a community of artists, not just us.

Yaynu: But honestly, our most important goal is to remain friends and keep the joy of creating together. Studio 11 has taken up a lot of our time, so we hope to find a balance where we can still work on our personal art projects. We’ve realized that staying true to ourselves and our friendship is at the heart of our work here.