Yeroham Ashagre: Winner of the 2026 MFA Prize

Yeroham Ashagre: Winner of the 2026 MFA Prize

Yeroham Ashagre is the 2026 Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Prize recipient, capping three years of intensive study as an MFA student in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University.

Ashagre received the MFA Prize for his thesis exhibition, “Womb of Tomb,” that is part of the 2026 MFA Exhibition on view at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum through May 17, 2026. He was awarded this honor by guest juror Donna Honarpisheh, Ph.D., Associate Curator of Art and Research at the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami in Miami, Florida.

A smiling person in a blue hoodie stands in front of abstract orange and brown sculptures in a well-lit gallery, conveying a relaxed and content mood.
Yeroham Ashagre (Photo by Ryan Frederick)

“Womb of Tomb” consists of 12-foot-tall clay sculptures that Honarpisheh described as “straddling the bounds of life and death.”

“These figures stand tall, towering over viewers, and appear nude, headless, and with mismatched body parts, giving the sense of bare life, or a figure ravaged by the violence of war, conflict, or humanitarian crisis,” Honarpisheh said. “The material weight and surface of clay emphasize a sense of fragility and endurance at once. The scale of the sculpture adds an element of monumentalization, which, in the context of bodies out of joint, allows the viewer to engage with questions of who becomes monumentalized. And in a work that appears both timeless and timely, what is the role of monumentalization altogether?”

A man observes three clay human figures in a gallery. Each figure holds a textured beam overhead, creating a sense of strength and curiosity.
Yeroham Ashagre’s “Womb of Tomb” thesis exhibition consists of 12-foot-tall clay sculptures and is on view at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum through May 17, 2026. (Photo by Alex Nichols)

The MFA Prize is supported by the John and Susan Berding Family Endowment and is awarded each year to one thesis work in the MFA Exhibition by the guest juror. This year, there are five MFA candidates from MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design who are graduating in Spring 2026 and whose thesis work is featured in the 2026 MFA Exhibition.

“While each of these artists has created a body of work that is well researched and well constructed, and each deserving of recognition and praise,” Honarpisheh said, “I chose Ashagre’s figures for both their technical and material experimentation, which foreground the figure, while rendering it disfigured and for creating a sculpture that carries the weight of history and humanity and registers these questions in its formal composition and viewer experience.”

Sketch of four human figures in various poses with measurements and annotations. The drawing includes geometric lines, suggesting architectural analysis.
Blueprint designs for Yeroham Ashagre’s “Womb of Tomb” thesis exhibition. (Courtesy of Yeroham Ashagre)
A gallery featuring nine tall, elongated human-like sculptures in earthy tones. They stand on a polished floor under spotlights, creating a contemplative atmosphere.
Yeroham Ashagre’s “Ode to Solitude,” which received the 2025 Michigan Fine Arts Competition Award.

Born and raised in Ethiopia, Ashagre earned his BFA from Addis Ababa University in 2022. He has earned a number of awards for his work, including in June 2025, the Michigan Fine Arts Competition (MFAC) Award presented by the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center for his “Ode to Solitude.”  More than 600 works of art were submitted to this annual juried competition, which is open to artists from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

He also has been awarded a 2026-2027 Dedalus Foundation Master of Fine Arts Fellowship in Painting and Sculpture. Awarded annually to four final-year students who are graduating from an MFA degree program in the United States, the Dedalus Foundation Master of Fine Arts Fellowship in Painting and Sculpture carries a stipend of $15,000. The Dedalus Foundation, founded by Robert Motherwell, supports the public understanding and appreciation of modern art and the principles of modernism.

MFA Program and Exhibition

The 2026 MFA Exhibition is the culmination of a three-year program offered by MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design in which the artist-scholars push the existing limits of art while exploring their creative practice with the support of a faculty committee selected by each MFA candidate.

Under the guidance of their faculty committees, MFA candidates develop a rigorous studio practice and engage in extensive study in a medium or area of concentration. Their work is informed by their curiosity of the world around them and complemented by coursework in the history of art and related fields.

Man presenting at a podium with "MSU Broad Art Museum" branding. A schematic drawing is projected on the screen beside him. Audience listens attentively.
Yeroham Ashagre delivering his artist talk about his “Womb of Tomb” thesis exhibition that is part of the 2026 MFA Exhibtion, which runs through May 17, 2026, at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum. (Photo by Lev Denisov)

While developing their thesis exhibitions, MFA candidates work with their committees to refine their research and artistic goals, deepening their understanding of what it means to be a contemporary practicing artist. The MFA Exhibition serves as evidence of their achievements and continuing artistic and scholarly promise.

The MFA Exhibition is organized by the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum in partnership with MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design and curated by Rachel Winter, Ph.D., Assistant Curator, with support from Nat Swartz, Curatorial Research Assistant. Support for this exhibition is provided by the Graduate School at MSU and the John and Susan Berding Family Endowment.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is always free.

By Colleen Gehoski Steinman and Kim Popiolek

Categories: Award / Exhibition / News / Student / Student