I'm Kidus Markos, an artist.

He had always known that he needed to alter his tale and make a better life for himself and his family. He realized he needed to make some money and support his family at an early age (18); shortly after graduating high school. He started working a variety of part-time jobs to make ends meet and going door to door to paint name banners and decorations for Christmas and Easter for small businesses like barber shops and restaurants. His earnings from those jobs were insufficient to support his family and himself. He then started looking for more; something he could learn and grow from.

He had always known that he was an artist, that art was his passion and that through art he could express himself. In the years he struggled to survive, through his art he realized his passion for furniture design.

He’s always been the type of person who is open to trying new things and learning from others. He would approach store owners and request that he be hired for free. Despite the fact that all he had asked for was to be hired for free so that he could learn, he was rejected and refused by a number of people.

He then started standing on the windows of some furniture manufacturing workshop and started watching how they were doing things. Even though they weren’t willing to teach him he learned so much by just standing and watching over the windows. He would then go home and try to implement things he saw at the workshop. After spending so many weeks just doing that, he started getting a hold of things. The first furniture item he built from scratch was a bedside cabinet and sold it for 180 ETB to his older brother who had a job at the time. After he saw his own potential, he wanted to get even better so he started buying old furniture from his neighbors and refurbishing it and selling it after making it look brand new.

After a while, he returned to school to further his professional education in the field. He attended furniture design and manufacturing school and graduated at the age of 21. Even though he went to school, his life didn’t get easier. He had no money and no support from his family, and he was the most challenged by them.

He was offered a teaching position at the college he attended after graduating. However, the pay was insufficient, so on the side he returned to refurbishing old furniture using 2000 ETB, a money his aunt gave him to start his business.

With the money given to him by his aunt, in 1996 G.C (1988 E.C) the first Kidus Markos store was opened around Pastor Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

After years of hard work, his big break came when he was hired to create his signature antique-style furniture for Kuriftu (Debrezeit and Bahir Dar) and the Diplomat Restaurant in Addis Ababa.

Since then, Kidus Markos has built his credibility and flourished through innovation and creativity in the new furniture, home finishing and interior design industries. Kidus Markos has become an emblem of quality. Kidus Markos is now a way of life.

Kidus Markos is now in 2021 G.C (2014 E.C) is getting ready to celebrate its 25th year of success in the industry!