Muralist Brings Inspiration, Celebration, Legacy to ICS Walls

ICS Addis had the privilege of hosting Cecê Olevar, a muralist and educator whose work blends art, identity, and community. Known online as @island_of_kilombu, Olevar serves as the Global Citizenship Coordinator at the International School of Dakar and brought his unique artistic lens to our campus — and beyond.

During his visit, Olevar worked with students across Elementary, Middle, and High School, as well as with children at the Brook Hills Development Organization, an underserved local community with which ICS partners. His approach was grounded in our school’s mission and vision, using “global citizenship” and “belonging” as guiding themes for each mural.

In the Elementary School, Grade 5 students collaborated with Cecê to create a mural as part of their Primary Years Programme Exhibition. Centered around global issues, the artwork featured a gardener for reforestation, a cat for animal protection, a guitarist symbolizing the power of music, and a boy at a water tap representing poverty and homelessness.

“Students were part of the conceptualizing and planning processes,” Grade 5 teacher Ned Symons said. “They learned art skills like proportion and dimension, and it was also a hands-on opportunity to learn about collaboration and sending a powerful, unified message through visual storytelling.”

Click here to listen to Grade 5 students talk about the process of conceptualizing and painting a mural that conveys a message and how it links to their IB PYP Exhibition projects.

In the Middle School, students explored themes of unity and equity. While the Elementary mural reads “Unity is Strength” in Amharic, the Middle School mural shares a similar theme and message: “I belong at ICS.” This echoes one of our school’s strategic goals and core community values. Sports imagery, including a footballer, highlights the need for equity and inclusion in all arenas.

Cecê also led portrait workshops with students in middle and high school art, with learning support classes, and with the children at Brook Hills. He spoke about life as an artist, cultural identity, and how art can serve as a tool for change. Portraits created during these sessions now hang throughout campus and at Brook Hills — lasting reminders of a week grounded in creativity and purpose.

“The overlap between my art and my role as an educator isn’t just strong — they’re basically the same thing,” Cece shared. “I use both to explore how cultures can coexist and how we can be better humans for each other. In that way, art becomes a bridge.”

His own multicultural upbringing — rooted in the U.S., Brazil, and Paraguay — fuels his work.

“My art speaks to third culture kids who are piecing together their identity from many places,” he said. “Being mixed isn’t just okay — it’s beautiful.”

Cecê’s visit to ICS aligns seamlessly with our vision to cultivate curious, compassionate, and connected global citizens. His work reminded our students — and our broader community — that art can foster dialogue, amplify underrepresented voices, and create shared meaning across cultures.

You can learn more about Cece’s projects at www.kilombu.org or follow his work on Instagram at @island_of_kilombu.