Elias Sime

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Elias Sime (born 1968 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) is a well-known Ethiopian artist and sculptor in contemporary art. He makes large wall installations from industrial materials and electronic waste—things like microchips, power cords, and old computers. He studied at Addis Ababa University’s Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, graduating in 1990. Sime co-founded the Zoma Contemporary Art Center in Addis Ababa with Meskerem Assegued, his partner and fellow curator. Much of his work comes from e-waste found in Addis Ababa’s Mercato market, Africa’s biggest open-air market where Western tech goods pass through. His notable works include the Tightrope series. A major solo show, Elias Sime: Tightrope, opened in 2019 at the Wellin Museum of Art and then traveled to Akron Art Museum, Kemper Museum, and the Royal Ontario Museum from 2020 to 2021. In 2024 he presented a solo show, Elias Sime: Dichotomy ፊት አና ጀርባ, around the Venice Biennale. Sime’s works are in the Pérez Art Museum Miami, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Saint Louis Art Museum, among others.