An elderly figure stands with his back to the camera before a pale metal gate. His dark coat falls close to cropped trousers and polished boots. His frame casts a long, sharply defined shadow across the sunlit metal. In the background, a weathered bungalow with rusted corrugated roofs sits between newer concrete walls. Turquoise window frames punctuate faded cream plaster, while electrical poles and sagging wires draw oblique lines into an expansive blue sky. Two birds rest on the ridge of a roof. The photograph lingers on thresholds. Architecture becomes a grammar of distance: wall, gate, roof, sky.
— Olaniyi Omiwale
This photograph was taken at Piassa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I saw the man enjoying the sun and went on to capture it.
I chose this image because it reminds me of the old streets which are disappearing currently because of the demolition in the city.
From my experience I believe photography is impactful in preserving history. Living in a city where history is being demolished, photography helps preserve memories.
Inspired by the street photography in Addis Ababa Mekdes Ababu discovered on Instagram, she began capturing everyday life with her phone. What started as curiosity quickly became a practice she genuinely enjoys. Mekdes is most drawn to early mornings, when the city slowly comes to life and people greet the warmth of the sun. Her photographs celebrate these quiet, authentic moments. Her work was featured in the Goethe-Institut Ethiopia online exhibition “Water in Ethiopia,” and she is currently part of the Through the Lens Collective’s Ethiopian Program for an ongoing personal project. See more of Mekdes Ababu’s work on her Instagram.
