Photographers - Close up Ethiopia

In his impressive lyrical and richly colored images Dominik Fleischmann pays tribute to individual stories, lives of the people and the richness and diversity of the landscape. His composed moments change from quirky detailed shots to fleeting encounters and show a country in transition. Dominik Fleischmann's complex portrait offers a new view off the beaten tracks in Ethiopia.

Sustained by a fascinating religion that roots in a century-long faith, the Ethiopian Church with its 35 - 40 million believers is the largest of all Oriental Orthodox churches. In the photo series "Haymanot" (Amharic: faith) Judith Schenk approaches the mystery and the rituals of that faith. Traditional prayers, hymns and the liturgical language Ge'ez have survived the ages and still retain their graceful splendor. To date, the legendary founding myth remains alive, which legitimizes the Ethiopian ruler as direct descendants of King Solomon, one of the founding fathers of Israel from the family of the "Lion of Judah".

As a witness to the enormous change Ethiopia is undergoing, Mercedes Debeyne in her black and white photographs concentrates mainly on urban landscapes. Cows graze next to large construction sites in the airport's vicinity, goat herds weave their way along the busy streets of this metropolis.  

Spanish-German Photographer Pablo Ruiz Holst spent several weeks in the Ethiopian capital, a city he had never been to before. In coming close to the individual inhabitant's of the turbulent metropolis of Addis Ababa, he wanted to create moments of peace and trust. By choosing the medium of black and white he intended keep the circumstances as neutral as possible. In agreement with his counterpart, he created confidence and took photographs that emphasize the individuality of the other person and capture a brief moment of intimacy between two strangers.

Photographer Sebastian Schobbert has been working with GALLERY LISTROS since 2003. In 2005 he traveled to Ethiopia in order to document projects implemented by LISTROS Association. At the same time he devoted time to document the Listros (teenage Ethiopian shoeshiners), their daily lives and especially their work of shining shoes. From his encounters emerged intimate portraits that show the courage and the strength of these young people.

For his photo series „Tulu Gedo“, young Ethiopian Photographer Yero Adugna Eticha visited a small village in the mountains of western Ethiopia - home of his grandmother. Making the cities of Berlin and Addis Ababa his own home, he wanted to come close to his own family and unfamiliar living conditions. "Arrive, talk, sit, listen, no wind, cold, morning and evening the sky. In the morning the smell of coffee and after the rain the smell of animals," he describes the days spent there. The authenticity of his images invites the viewer to participate in this life and familiarizes strangers to this remote world by the photographer's accurate and loving gaze.