Margaret Abeshu
(She/her)
Address: Sharing with Ragnhild Aamås, Storgata 36B, 0182 Oslo
Floor: 2
The studio is open Sunday 27 April from 12-17
Margaret Abeshu is an Oslo-based designer and artist originally from Ethiopia. Holding an MA in Clothing and Costume Design from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, her works have been exhibited at Norsk Billedhoggerforenings, Kiosken Studio, Fotogalleriet, Kunsthall Oslo, kunstnerens hus, and Oslo Runway.
Her practice bridges design, craftsmanship, and visual art through installations and sartorial presentations. Grounded in critical revolutionary theory, art, and fashion within Western frameworks, Margaret examines the relationship between the body, memory, and material objects. Using personal memory and collective Afro-diasporic experiences across time, she questions the socio-political structures shaped by imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, and neoliberalism.
Textile design (sartorial), installation, sculpture
Title: koo yaa baranaa (Oh my, the year that is yet to come)
Artist: Margaret Abeshu
Technique: Ribbon textiles, Wrought iron & motorcycle mirror sculptures.
Photo: Abrakadabra Studio
Year: 2024
Location: Norsk billedhoggerforening (Norwegian Sculptors Society)
Title: koo yaa baranaa (Oh my, the year that is yet to come)
Artist: Margaret Abeshu
Technique: Digital photo print on polyurethane foam, wrought iron sculpture, Bazin fabric ribbon.
Photo: Abrakadabra Studio
Year: 2024 Location: Norwegian Sculptors Society
Title: I speak as I create
Artist: Margaret Abeshu
Technique: Leather, devore silk/viscose velvet textile, candles wax, mix & kanekalon hair, chains, MC mirror sculptures
Photo: Julie Hrncirova
Year: 2023
Location: Fotogalleriet
Title: Ubiquitous Shadow
Artist: Margaret Abeshu
Technique: chandelier spare embroidery, denim heavy cotton, crochet textile, kanekalon hair, mannequin, chandelier sculptures
Photo: Adrian Leversby
Year: 2022
Location: HI10 visningsrom og verksted Skien
In my studio
Welcome to a warm and engaging studio visit!
With me, you will not only enjoy refreshments, but also a unique opportunity to experience something special. I am a natural communicator who thrives on dialogue and interaction when meeting others. Prepare to experience accessible installations and works with active discussions that provide deeper insight into the themes I explore. You will also meet others I work with.
During the visit, there will also be planned performances in collaboration with Magdalena Solli and Adrian Leversby, which will include sartorial presentations, readings of counter-critical theory, and Ethiopian coffee brewing. This is part of an ongoing project I am working on: FFF: Fashion, Flesh, Framing, which explores the intersections between fashion, body, and structures.
Planned projects and exhibitions
Solo utstilling
2025 (upcoming) TBA, curator by Ifra Osman, Kunsthallen Oslo
Gruppe utstillinger
2027 (upcoming) TBA, in collabration with Solveig Styve Holte, Oslo
2026 (upcoming) TBA, Kunsthuset Kabuso, Hardangervidda
2025 (upcoming) Social Fabric at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art in Finland
2025 (upcoming) TBA, Østlandsutstilling, Nitja senter for samtidskunst, Lillestrøm
CV
Born -1990
- Ethiopia, based in Oslo Norway
Educations
- 2020-2022 MA in Clothing Design & Costume Design, Oslo National Academy of the Arts
- 2017-2020 BA in Art and design – Fashion & Industry, Oslo Metropolitan University
Solo Exhibitions
- 2025 (Kommende) TBA, curator by Ifra Osman, Kunsthallen Oslo
- 2024 Chroma Flux 003, Kiosken studio, Bergen
- 2024 Koo Yaa Baranaa, Norwegian Sculpture Association, Oslo
- 2022 Ubiquitous Shadow, curator Ørjan Amundsen, Gallery Hi10, Skien
Group Exhibitions
- 2027 (Kommende) TBA, in collabration with Solveig Styve Holte, Oslo
- 2026 (Kommende) TBA, Kunsthuset Kabuso, Hardangervidda
- 2025 (Kommende) Social Fabric at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art in Finland
- 2025 (Kommende) TBA, Nitja senter for samtidskunst, Lillestrøm
- 2025 ALPHA Talks: Nordic fashion, International Library of Fashion Research, Oslo
- 2025 Video essay + Critical Fashion talks for Fashion event, The National Museum, Oslo
- 2023 Summer university: Ethiopian coffee ceremony, PAF (Performing Arts Forum), St. Erme-Outre-et-Ramecourt, France
- 2023 Fashion show and Live installation: The Last Angel of History SS24, Oslo-Runway
- 2023 Lockout Stereotypes exhibition, curator Andreea Căpitănescu, Fiksdal Dans Stiftelse, Bucharest, Romania
- 2023 Group exhibition: I speak as I create, (Indoctrination and ritualized narrative), curator Dahir Hussain, Fotogalleriet Oslo
- 2022 Fashion show and Live installation: Hypoalgesia SS23, Winner of the DS Fashion Talent Award show, Oslo Runway 2022
- 2022 Sukker (Teater), costume designer/consulting, Bergen Dramatikk festival
- 2022 Graduation show and exhibition, Oslo National Academy of the Arts
- 2021 Group exhibition: Soofiyee, curator OsloCity & STRUKTURA.Time, Gallery BO-Billedkunstnere in Oslo
- 2020 Group exhibition: Solastalgic, curator by Lesia Vasylchenko, Seilduken, Oslo Academy of Arts
Collaboration
- 2024 Kiosken Studio residency, Bergen
- 2024 Hammerfest Residence at Davvi – Center for Performing Arts, Hammerfest
- 2023 Techno sound and visual collaboration project with DJ/VJ NaNnadda, Oslo Runway + MUNCH, Oslo
- 2023 Showpiece jewellery design, collaborative project with David Andersen, Oslo
- 2022 Commission work: Costume design for Ingri Fiksdal (Holding Pattaern, kunstnernes hus), Oslo
- 2022 Collaborative project: Arousal by the choreographer Rina Rosenqvist, Montebello Oslo
- 2022 Curated an exhibition together with Admir Batlak: Exhibition for fashion-related practices in art spaces, OsloCity (Hedda Grevle Ottesen), Gallery B-O, Oslo
- 2022 Costume consulting, Theatre play (Sukker), Linda Gathu, Bergen Dramatikkfestival
- 2021 Costume consulting, Theatre play (Taking Root), Hamid Waheed, Prøverommet, Bergen Kjøtt, Bergen, Norway
- 2021 Textile consulting, (Vi sees), for Jacky Jaan Yuan Kuo, Podium Oslo
- 2021 Costume designer & performance, Collaboration with Infopsin (Podium, artist-run gallery space based in Oslo), Kunsthallen Oslo
Commissioned
- 2024 Bricollage Fashion workshop for Summer school; Kunsthallen Oslo & Prosjektskolen
- 2023 Poster design, Klub-Diaspora, Landmark Bergen
- 2022 Design & craftmanship of gloves, (Въ Руцѣ Лѣто ’38 (Year in hand) 2021, Lesia Vasylchenco, Høstutstillingen 2022, Oslo
- 2021 Design & craftmanship of gloves, (Въ Руцѣ Лѣто ’38 (Year in hand), Lesia Vasylchenco, Coast contemporary, Babel visingsrom for Kunst, Trondheim
- 2021 Animation & Poster design, Balama EP, Man Recordings, Berlin
Sold works
DKS prosjekt: KiM – ustilling om kunst, identitet og mote 2023
Grants:
NBK prosjektstøtte 2023
Kulturrådet – Arbeidsstipend for yngre/nyetablerte kunstnere 2023
Awards
DS Fashion talent Award 2022
Membership
Norske Kunsthåndverkere/ The Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts