እትብት / Etebt
For over 15 years, I've been immersed in various photography and video projects, primarily working on assignments for organizations and companies. The majority of this work has been in documentary photography. Through these professional experiences and my diverse hobbies, I've been fortunate to connect with practitioners of different creative disciplines, which has fueled my creativity and pushed me to improve.
My personal projects have always been exercises designed to highlight aspects of my daily life—the small, fleeting moments that might be overlooked but remain permanent for those who notice. These projects were often spontaneous; I would frame a scene, capture it, and reproduce it digitally or in print, reflecting on it afterwards.
A central theme in my work has been capturing the essence of who I am, where I live, and where I come from. This is evident in projects like Addis Unleashed, where I collaborated with two talented friends to showcase scenes of Addis Ababa in the 2000s, at a time when such images were rare. It's also present in the collection of images chronicling my travels across Ethiopia for various assignments.
This focus on identity and origin is the foundation of the እትብት (Etebt) project. Living in a foreign land and assimilating to a new culture has pushed me to better understand the genesis of my work and its outcomes. I'm now striving to be more intentional in understanding how my work, and that of others in the creative industry, is shaped by our roots.
Etebt, an Amharic term, refers to the umbilical cord—the essence of where you come from and who you are. With this project, I aim to capture people working in different creative mediums and understand what inspires and drives their creations. It's a mixed-media project where I'll compile video and audio interviews of these creatives, along with portraits I've taken or edited.
The main goal of this project is twofold: to learn how other creative professionals fuel and shape their creations, and to showcase their talent and work to the world.
I've already begun shooting for the project. If you live and work in Australia, please reach out through the form below—let's have a chat. If you're elsewhere, get in touch and we can work out the logistics for a conversation when we meet. I plan to start showcasing the work in 2025, so keep an eye out for announcements on my social media. Until then, የነገ ሰው ያርገን (may the future hold us accountable).