Painting is an art that she inherited from her parents. She loved painting since she was young and her dream was to become a great painter—well trained and professional. Her dream came true when she received a scholarship to China. ‘Everything is about hard work; I plan something big and I hope to do it,’ Martha says. Shaebia Org interviewed her in Beijing. Excerpts:


Could you introduce us with yourself?

I am Martha Woldue. I was born in Sahel and attended my elementary school in the Revolution School. Following independence I attended junior and secondary school in Asmara. I received a painting scholarship to China and it is now my forth year here.

How did you get the scholarship?

The Chinese Embassy in Eritrea arranged an art exhibition for my mother, artist Tirhas Eyassu, and I had some of my paintings displayed along with my mother’s. Seeing my paintings, the Embassy decided to provide me with the opportunity.

What kind of painting are you studying now?

I’m studying oil painting, wall and mirror painting and sculpture. I think I have acquired a considerable knowledge on painting.

What improvements did you make by taking the course?

The biggest lesson I learned is hardworking. It is obvious that winners are those who work tirelessly. Since we work hard here, the changes I made is clear. It’s a big change indeed.

What are your future plans following the course?

God willing, I have planned to do something big and I believe that in the future I will succeed in the projects I have planned to accomplish.

Quality of the lessons…

The main lesson is about hard work and it leads you to creativity. There is competition. What you do everyday is clear and planned, but since you add your own creativity to what you learn, there is competition among the students.

What is your opinion regarding Chinese youth?

I really admire the older generation of the Chinese people. It is easy to identify the strength of their nationalism.

Any messages you want to convey to the Eritrean youth….

The youth that I really admire are the Eritrean youth and I am proud of being one of them. Generally, being a youth is having everything, bad and good, but when I try to evaluate the Eritrean youth, the dominant element is the good one.

Thank you Martha!