Nahom Teklehaimanot’s First Solo Exhibition at Circle Art Gallery Explores the Scars of Memory and Migration
by Glory Onyekwusi Jun 27, 2026
The relationship between memory and identity has long occupied contemporary artists across Africa. For Eritrean artist Nahom Teklehaimanot, however, memory is neither fixed nor complete. It is fractured, reconstructed, and continuously reshaped by movement, displacement, and lived experience.
Now on view at Circle Art Gallery Twinkle twinkle little Scar Who Put You Where You Are? marks Teklehaimanot’s first solo exhibition with the gallery. Bringing together a new body of paintings, the exhibition explores how histories of migration continue to shape both personal and collective identities through visually striking works that blur the boundaries between illusion and reality. The exhibition runs until 4 July 2026.
Born in Eritrea and raised between Eritrea and Ethiopia before relocating to Nairobi, Teklehaimanot’s artistic practice is deeply informed by experiences of crossing borders and negotiating questions of home and belonging. His paintings investigate the emotional aftermath of displacement rather than its political spectacle, focusing instead on the quiet ways memory survives through absence, loss and reconstruction.
Working primarily with airbrush, paint and layered imagery, the artist creates atmospheric compositions where landscapes, anonymous figures and fragments of archival material appear to drift between remembrance and forgetting. His paintings refuse certainty, inviting viewers to question what is remembered, what is erased and what remains.
One of the exhibition’s most captivating qualities is its extraordinary technical execution.
At first glance, many of the paintings appear to be intricate collages assembled from torn photographs, damaged documents and weathered archival papers. Creases, folds and ripped edges seem almost tangible.
Yet nothing has actually been torn.
Every fragment, crease and layered surface has been painstakingly painted by hand, creating an illusion that challenges the viewer’s perception. This act of visual deception mirrors the nature of memory itself—something that often feels fragmented despite being continuously reconstructed.
Rather than using collage as a physical medium, Teklehaimanot transforms painting into a psychological language. The painted ruptures become metaphors for emotional scars, revealing how histories remain embedded beneath seemingly whole surfaces.
The exhibition’s title immediately captures attention.
By replacing the word “Star” with “Scar,” Teklehaimanot transforms one of childhood’s most familiar lullabies into a meditation on trauma, survival and historical accountability.
The subtitle—Who Put You Where You Are?—extends the conversation beyond individual experience. It prompts viewers to reflect on the systems, borders, conflicts and political histories that shape migration and determine where people belong—or are forced to belong.
Rather than presenting scars as symbols of weakness, the artist treats them as living archives that preserve histories many societies attempt to forget.
Memory as a Living Archive
Across the exhibition, memory emerges not as a static record but as an evolving process.
Soft airbrushed gradients suggest fading recollections, while layered compositions evoke histories that disappear and reappear over time. Figures dissolve into their surroundings before slowly resurfacing, reinforcing the idea that identity is continually negotiated through remembrance.
This approach allows the exhibition to speak beyond the artist’s own biography. While rooted in his experiences of migration, the works resonate with broader conversations about exile, belonging and cultural memory taking place across Africa and its global diaspora.
An Important Moment for Circle Art Gallery
The exhibition also represents another significant milestone for Circle Art Gallery, one of East Africa’s leading contemporary art spaces. Since opening in Nairobi, the gallery has built a strong reputation for championing artists from across the continent while fostering international dialogue around contemporary African art.
By presenting Teklehaimanot’s first solo exhibition, the gallery continues its commitment to supporting artists whose practices challenge conventional narratives and expand conversations around African identities.
Exhibition Information
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Scar—Who Put You Where You Are? is on view at Circle Art Gallery, Nairobi, until 4 July 2026. The exhibition offers an opportunity to encounter an artist whose meticulous technique and thoughtful exploration of memory transform painting into a powerful meditation on displacement, resilience and belonging.
