Kalkidan Hoex
Ethiopian
A recent Master’s graduate from Maastricht Academy of Art, Kalkidan Hoex was adopted from Ethiopia and brought up in the Netherlands. In her multi-disciplinary work Hoex examines the pervasive feeling of living between two worlds that has followed her for most of her life. The work speaks directly to those she considers a part of her own identity: youth of mixed descent, who were adopted out of their country or origin or had to flee with their families from their birthplace. Despite the differences in backgrounds and upbringing, she feels that they share common interests and viewpoints. Through her practice she is exploring the intricacies of her own identity while simultaneously connecting with this group that she identifies as The New Tribe. This series, TheNEWtribe is rooted in the representational practice of black culture, exploring the meaning of identity as posited through current trends and style. Hoex uses hand drawn comics and stand-alone illustration to further reinforce the symbolical meaning of her jewelry pieces. The collection plays with a range of techniques, materials and aesthetics, attempting to find connections and relations between Western and African cultures
