November 2004Issue 373



 Woman decorated with keys and buttons at the Alaba Tembaro region markets.

I would describe photography as a form of speech: I talk through my images, as a form of sight; I see through my images, as a form of sound; I hear through my images.

There is so much beauty in everyday moments and everyday people. With over 80 different peoples in Ethiopia, and the magnificence and richness of each tradition, I beg to differ when this nation is labelled ‘poor’. While Western media parade Ethiopia’s poverty and bombard us with the greatness of Western living, I choose to portray the other side.

This is a photograph I took on a trip to the southern part of Ethiopia, in the Alaba Tembaro region. A trip out of the city is not just a trip for me, but an opportunity to capture moments that may come just once in a lifetime. I like to wake up at the break of dawn, head out into the village and take shots as the sun rises. On this particular day I was making my way through the market. Each face had a story of its own; each expression on every face told a million tales. I came across young women decorated with items I had never imagined being put to this particular use. I was mesmerized as I preserved for a lifetime a moment of beauty.

African Pictures

Antonio Fiorente, Ethiopia




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