Grown up with the fascinating early art of the orthodox church and having studied art history Tigneh Negash emphasizes the importance of the 'old masters' for himself and his work. The most important ones vary with time - artistic culture interests him as a whole. Without these, he says, he feels he looses the shape of the harmonious personality. During the studies in Addis Abeba the impressionist, and later post-impressionist, influence was evident. Moscow Fine Arts Academy - heavy academical influence from Renaissance, Classicism and Realism. Later overcoming the academy influence and being free to search for the own identity - that he found in the above-mentioned early ecclesiastical art. As important artists African aboriginal and the Medieval painters come first to his mind. There was also a time when he, as he says 'developed a real obsession' for the Oriental art. Now it seems the 20th century artists fascinate the most; especially Marc Chagall and Rufino Tamayno, because they opened a new horizon, a creative revelation and a source of liberating energy.

Tignehs journey from his home country to the nowadays' home went via Moscow during the last days of the Soviet Union. Although, or maybe because, he has gone through very radical changes during his life, the residence or society does not effect his art. The changes in style, he says, are about a process that goes on within him, a process towards a higher type of artistic thought.