Born and raised in Ethiopia, Daniel recalls loving to draw and paint as a child. He first discovered the art of carving when he was at an early age, and during his teen years,  he moved with his parents and siblings to Tanzania and Botswana. By then, he was more exposed to different African countries’ traditional wooden masks and stone handicrafts, and he started carving wood figurines.

Five years after his family left Ethiopia, he moved to Durham, North Carolina, then to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He studied sculpture and photography, earning a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Alabama. He also studied art in Australia and Japan. His sculptures have been exhibited at Seattle-area galleries.

Daniel serves on the board of directors of the Ethiopian Community in Seattle and was a founding member of the board of the Ethiopian Arts Society in North America (EASNA). He is a member of the Meklit Ethiopian writing group and has written a book in Amharic about the works of art that he has created. The book, The One Who Talks to the Stone, was released in the summer of 2025. Daniel also coaches tennis and golf, offering private and group lessons.

Daniel and his wife live with their twins in the Seattle area.