If you ask Surafel when he first started creating art, he’ll tell you he doesn’t know.

The truth is he can’t remember a time when art wasn’t a part of his life.

Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, drawing and painting have always been how Surafel connected with the world.

After moving to Canada as a teenager, and adapting to a new culture, language, and way of living, painting also became his voice.

Now living in the Canadian Arctic, Surafel offers the unique context of a man split between continents, living in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.

From humanity’s birthplace in Ethiopia to a remote fly in only Arctic community in Nunavut, Surafel has witnessed a vast range of what it means to be human.

Follow along to watch as he translates this perspective to paper through his art