Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting

Betiel Ghirmay Araia

Gual Akrya

Through clay, I create sculptural forms that reflect my identity and the neighbourhood where I was born. Using hand-building and detailed elements, I draw from Eritrean cultural practices, particularly hairstyle and jewellery, to express how identity is carried and recognised.These elements are not only visual, but a way of preserving cultural practices that continue both in Eritrea and within Eritrean communities living elsewhere. Through this process, the work becomes a way of holding memory and maintaining connection across distance.

“Gual Akrya, which translates to “Girl from Akrya,” is a ceramic head sculpture that reflects my connection to place and identity. The work represents a Tigrinya woman, one of Eritrea’s nine ethnic groups, and draws from my own cultural background. Defined by the Albaso hairstyle and gold jewellery known as werki, the figure is sculpted in red clay as an homage to Akrya, the neighbourhood in Asmara where I was born.The red clay references the earth of Akrya, grounding the sculpture in both landscape and memory. The title comes from the Tigrinya song Qeyah Gual Akrya by Tesfay Girmay, where qeyah (red) describes both a woman’s complexion and the red soil of the area, linking body and land.The hairstyle and jewellery are not simply decorative; they reflect cultural practices tied to beauty, identity, and belonging. Through these details, the work shows how cultural practices continue to hold meaning both in Eritrea and within the Eritrean diaspora.”