Michael grew up in Bole, before the area become home to the never-ending construction of shiny new office buildings and restaurants. Originally a painter, Michael turned out to be allergic to oil paint, and switched to photography in His photo series range from tackling social issues like climate change to pondering space and time across Ethiopia. Michael has worked in a variety of mediums and formats, and is increasingly in demand from a number of commercial and nonprofit clients.
Despite exhibiting around the world, Michael regularly also debuts work in his hometown. We chatted over coffee about how the media portrays African artists, which subjects catch his attention, and what reaction to his photos has surprised him the most. And who usually does the pigeonholing? There is a certain expectation when you are called an African artist or an African photographer; it puts you in a kind of box.
I can work anywhere, and my work should first reflect me as an artist β not as an African or Ethiopian. Your website offers a glimpse into your portfolio. For each series there is a short introduction, but besides that short note, the viewer is left to interpret what he or she is looking at.
This approach, one could say, you share with many artists. Is that a deliberate choice? Are you saying: this is art, and you, the viewer are free to interpret it as you want? Some works on the website I put just for the viewer to see and imagine, but mainly the work is not meant to be presented online.
I do exhibitions, where the photographs are the right size and accompanied by lighting. For exhibitions I also provide more explanation, and the picture becomes stronger, you can communicate more, interact with it. The website is just a glimpse. Do you work with digital, film or both? How do you decide which medium fits the topic? For jobs I do digital, but otherwise it depends on the subject. For Future Memories, the Addis series, I think the title and the concept led me to shoot in black and white film.
