Aïda Muluneh

Canon Ambassador and Ethiopian artist and photographer Aïda Muluneh is the founder and director of Addis Foto Fest, East Africa's first international photography festival, and the founder of Africa Foto Fair in Côte d'Ivoire. Her work is held in major permanent collections, including the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art and New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Born in Ethiopia in 1974, Aïda left the country at a young age. She spent her childhood in Yemen and Cyprus and settled in Canada in 1985 where she first began experimenting with photography at high school. After graduating from Washington DC's Howard University in 2000, with a major in film, Aïda became a photojournalist at The Washington Post. Over the next few years, she invested her spare time working on personal projects and exploring different genres of photography. In 2004, a selection of her work was acquired by the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of African Art. "I found a new visual language that gave me the freedom to delve into various topics that I couldn't express through photojournalism," she says.

In 2007, Aïda's new-found creativity resulted in her first trophy: the European Union Prize at the African Photography Encounters biennial, in Bamako, Mali. "The work that I do is a visual diary of my experiences and thoughts over the years, hence I chose portraits because it is a journey exploring various topics through each model," she says. "I want to share humanistic stories, to find things that create communality as opposed to differences, and to share a perspective that questions our own humility regardless of our backgrounds." More success followed in 2010, when Aïda was crowned winner of CRAF's International Award of Photography in Spilimbergo, Italy.

Later that year, Aïda released the book Ethiopia: Past/Forward, and launched Addis Foto Fest, the first international photography festival in East Africa, held every two years in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. "I am so proud of the festival," she says. "I have been teaching photography since 2008, but I realised that it wasn't just about teaching photographers but also teaching my community, through the festival, on the application and perspectives of photography. Over the years, I have begun to understand that if we are to shift how the world sees Africa, we need to develop new African talent through education."

Aïda's work has been exhibited internationally and featured in leading publications including The New York Times and Elle, as well as on international media platforms such as the BBC.

In 2019, she became the first Black woman to co-curate the Nobel Peace Prize Exhibition, returning in 2020 as a commissioned artist to create a series exploring how hunger has been used as a weapon of war throughout history. Since then, she has continued to expand her artistic practice through international exhibitions and commissions, while advancing photography education and professional opportunities across Africa through initiatives including Africa Foto Fair.

What is your go-to technique?

"I often shoot f/11, 1/125 sec and ISO100. I mostly use flat lighting to emphasise the graphical element of the piece, and remove all shadows unless they're intentional. I have used both studio and natural light, but the key element is to maintain these settings in order to flatten the image."


How does being an artist help you as a photographer?

"I was a photographer first and have been utilising the tool of photography as a form of self-expression. A great deal of my inspirations are based on my various photojournalism assignments, so one inspires the other."


What are you trying to create with your fine art work?

"Images that, regardless of class, geographical location or education, can be understood or, at a minimum, provoke a question. I am not a photographer who likes to over-theorise my process or my work; if I cannot create a connecting point with my audience then my purpose is pointless."


How do you direct your subjects?

"In all my images, I keep a uniform visual language. I often work with the same models, but for directing it is about building a relationship with the sitter and therefore the process changes as I adjust to them."


Where would you like photography to take you next?

"As a film graduate from Howard University, my ultimate goal is to return to my filmmaking roots. In each phase of my career, the key objective is to experiment with images, whether still or moving."


What piece of Canon kit can you not live without, and why?

"The Canon EOS R5 with the Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM has become an essential combination in my work. I often work with carefully constructed scenes where composition, colour and detail are very important, and the EOS R5 gives me the image quality and flexibility I need to translate those ideas into the final photograph. The 24-105mm allows me to move between wider compositions and more intimate frames without interrupting the rhythm of a shoot. Having the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4100 in our studio also allows me to carry that process through from capture to the final print, giving me greater control over colour, detail and how the work is ultimately presented."


What else could we discover in your kitbag that helps you elevate your work?

"My sketchbook is always an important part of my process. My photographs often begin long before I pick up the camera, with notes, drawings, colour ideas, symbols and references that gradually develop into a visual concept. For me, the camera is one part of a much larger creative process, so having a place to capture and develop those ideas is just as important as the equipment itself."

"Emerging photographers are often in a rush to get into fine art photography, when it is important to first develop their storytelling skills. I started out as a photojournalist and it was important for me to first define my purpose as it relates to my photography work. Eventually, when I began working in the studio, it was clear that the skills that I had amassed from the years of being a photojournalist would be the foundation for my artistic works. So, first develop your basic technical skills and then you can find your style."

Website: aidamuluneh.com

Instagram: @aidamuluneh

LinkedIn: Aïda Muluneh