Anzug, Global Style, 2015, Mixed Media, 180 x 90 cm

Klaus Mertens (*1950 in Bonn) is a German contemporary artist. In the 70th Klaus Mertens first studied architecture. After some years on the job he started his studies of fine arts in 1984 at UDK Berlin. 1991 he graduated with his master at the class of Georg Baselitz. For many years he lived and worked in Berlin as an artist. Since 2007, when he travelled to Ethiopia the first time, being attracted by African culture and art Mertens stayed in Addis Ababa to work and live there till today. He started teaching at the Addis Ababa University, Ale School of Fine Arts and Design (ASFAD) in 2010, where he founded a new class for lithography. Since 2013 he established a partnership between the Ale School of fine Arts and Design and the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden/Germany (HfBK).