When the highly anticipated Obama Presidential Center opens its doors in Chicago, visitors from across the globe will be greeted by a towering, breathtaking wall of light and color on the north facade of the Museum Building. Standing at a staggering 83 feet high and 25 feet wide, this monumental painted-glass window—titled Uprising of the Sun—is one of the center’s most prominent permanent art installations.
The genius behind this masterwork is Julie Mehretu.
While the global art market recognizes her as a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and one of the most influential, multi-million-dollar contemporary painters of the 21st century, her story begins far from New York or Chicago. It begins in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Roots of a Global Master: Born in Addis Ababa
Born in the Ethiopian capital in 1970 to an Ethiopian college professor and an American teacher, Julie’s early childhood was shaped by the vibrant cultural and political landscape of Addis Ababa. However, following the political upheaval of the mid-1970s and the rise of the Derg regime, her family chose to migrate to the United States in 1977, settling in Michigan.
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