Brooky's Show

Leonardo da Vinci Was a Procrastinator
Leonardo da Vinci is unquestionably one of the most famous artists in history. Ironically, one quirk that made him such a genius was that he was easily distracted.
Despite being the epitome of a “Renaissance man,” Leonardo had a penchant for leaving his works unfinished. Evidence for this is seen in the hundreds of notes and sketches he left behind for projects following his death in 1519.

Need more evidence? Two of his most famous works took a combined 17 years to finish. Leonardo worked on his influential mural, “The Last Supper,” for three years, and he later spent a whopping 14 years completing the famous—and surprisingly small—“Mona Lisa.” It’s said that Leonardo only finished “The Last Supper” after his patron finally threatened to cut off his funds.

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness."

Our guest this week is Laurette Desta Hagos: she was born in Adwa but was raised in Addis Ababa. She is a graduate of the University of Addis Ababa, School of Fine Arts and Design under the mentoring of Gebre Kirstos Desta.

She is the first female Ethiopian artist to exhibit her paintings in the country. She is also one of the few individuals who had lost thirty treasured paintings and survived the agony of loss.
Her first interest in art came when she was around five. Laurette Desta remembers her youth by saying "When I was just a very young child, I remember that I adored flowers and plants, and love to cut flowers so that I can look at their beauty" recalling her love for
beauty and colors. A remarkable lady.

She has participated in fifty-seven exhibitions here in Ethiopia and all over the world.

INTERESTING AND FUN FACTS ABOUT ETHIOPIAN ART

Ethiopian art refers to any form of ancient and contemporary art tracing from the 4th century until the 20th century. It can be divided into two broad groupings.

1. First comes a distinctive tradition of Christian art, mostly for churches, in forms including painting, crosses, icons, illuminated manuscripts, and other metalwork such as crowns.

2. Secondly there are popular arts and crafts such as textiles, basketry and jewellery, in which Ethiopian traditions are closer to those of other peoples in the region.

Its history goes back almost three thousand years to the kingdom of D'mt.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has been the predominant religion in Ethiopia for over 1500 years, for most of this period in a very close relation, or union, with the Coptic Christianity of Egypt, so that Coptic art has been the main formative influence on Ethiopian church art.

"Instead of trying to be like others, it's better to be yourself."

Our this week guest is Alem Getachew: founder and host artist of Alem Art Center. Alem was born in Gonder and raised in Addis Abeba. She gaduated from Catholic
Mission of Italian Art School in Assela.
Alem had organized and taken part in sole and group exhibitions at the Alliance Ethio Française, Russian Cultural and Scientific Center, Asni Art Gallery, Alem Cinemas, Addis-Abeba Exhibition Centre.
Alem offers fine arts training to young people where her Center serves as a café, library, art center and stage where everyone shares his/her own experience.

INTERESTING AND FUN FACTS ABOUT THE FASHION WORLD

1. The word ‘jeans’ comes from the cotton pants worn by
“Genes,” the local term for Genoan sailors.

2. It was not acceptable for women to wear shorts in
public until World War 2.

3. The crocodile of the brand ‘Lacoste’ was the first
brand name to ever appear as a logo on any garment.

4. Men’s shirts button on the right and women’s on the
left.

"Sometimes you just need to forget what is gone, appreciate what still remains, and look forward to what is coming next."

Our this week guest is non other that Genet Kebede:
Genet Kebede was born and brought up in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia. As a young girl, she liked Ethiopian fashion and rich
textiles.
Following her dreams, she took the opportunity to study fashion
design and textile construction in Italy and then in Argentina.

She believed that she could make a difference in her country by
helping a lot of people, especially women. She shared the
beauty of her country’s rich weaving traditions with the world.

In 1992, Paradise Fashion came into existence. Since the
founding of the label, Genet has been celebrating the cultural
tradition of Ethiopian handmade weaving products with a
contemporary aesthetics and providing a sustainable
employment for its mostly female team.

Random Facts that 'WILL BLOW YOUR MIND'.
1. The heads on Easter Island have bodies.
The iconic stone heads protruding from the ground on Easter Island are familiar to most, but many don't realize what lies beneath the surface. In the '10s, archaeologists studying the hundreds of stone statues on the Pacific Island excavated two of the figures, revealing full torsos, which measure as high as 33 feet.

2. The moon has moonquakes.
Just as earth has earthquakes, the moon has—you guessed it—moonquakes. Less common and less intense than the shakes that happen here, moonquakes are believed by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists to occur due to tidal stresses connected to the distance between the Earth and the moon.

3. You lose up to 30 percent of your taste buds during flight.
This might explain why airplane food gets such a bad reputation. The elevation in an airplane can have a detrimental effect on our ability to taste things. According to a 2010 study conducted by Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, the dryness experienced at a high elevation as well as low pressure reduces the sensitivity of a person's taste buds to sweet and salty foods by about 30 percent. Add that dry cabin air affects our ability to smell, and our ability to taste is reduced further.

"Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss their future."

This week's guest is the one and only Selome Tadesse: world renouned Consultant.
Selome Tadesse was born and raised in Axum, Tigray until the age of eight when her father and mother, who were both educators, moved to Addis Ababa.
After she completed high school, she went on to join the Commercial School in Addis Ababa. She studied journalism in Minsk, Belarus and Mount Holyoke College in Boston Massachusetts.
Since she came back to Ethiopia, she has worked as General Manager of the Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency and as a Public Relations Officer at the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington DC. She is a renowned “women in leadership” trainer and motivational speaker.

Transcendental Meditation aka TM refers to a specific form of silent, mantra meditation and the organizations that constitute the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created and introduced the TM technique and TM movement in India in the mid-1950s.
Here are 5 Key Facts About Transcendental Meditation.

1. While many meditation styles are known for requiring hours to enter a serene or reflective state, Transcendental Meditation advocates claim that you only need practice the style twice daily for a period of no more than 20 minutes to foster its benefits.

2. While derived from ancient Indian Vedic practices, TM became popular outside India about 50 years ago when devotee Maharishi embarked on a mission to introduce a popularized form of the technique to the wider world.

3. Transcendental Meditation is one of the world’s most popular meditation techniques, with an estimated 5 million regular practitioners across the globe.

4. Outside centuries of yogic practice in India, Transcendental Meditation has received broad medical and scientific study in the West — with findings claiming that TM is genuinely effective in lessening anxiety and stress.

5. Transcendental Meditation, unlike other mindfulness techniques, is less focused on pointed concentration and more centered on achieving a state of blissful clarity and relaxation of thought.

"When the shadow of a tree is bent, you do not straighten the shadow; instead you straighten the tree."