Andarge Asfaw - Ethiopia from the Heart – Interview with Award Winning Photographer, Educator and Author

Adarge Asfaw, award winning photographer, educator and author was born in Addis Ababa. His powerful portraits and luminous landscapes have been exhibited in several exhibitions and are held in private collections.

Asfaw`s latest photography book "Ethiopia from the Heart" was released in 2007. This profound visual essay, centers on the striking splendor of nature.

A signed copy of "Ethiopia from the Heart" is available at www.ethiopiafromtheheart.com. Unsigned copies are available at the National Museum of African Art, The United Nations Bookshop and on amazon.com. 

Asfaw’s next exhibition will take place at Modern Art Museum Gebre Kristos Desta Centre in Addis Ababa from Sept 18, 2009 - November 18, 2009.

Asfaw attended Cornell University and he is a graduate of Hallmark Institute of Photography. His work has been highlighted by Newsweek, Vanity Fair, Esquire and The Washington Post. His environmentally conscious work was featured by The Valley Advocate.

Andarge Asfaw works as a professional photographer and currently lectures at the Washington School of Photography, the Art League School and the Metropolitan Center for the Visual Arts.

Andarge Asfaw returned to Ethiopia after 27 years. What he experienced and photographed upon his initial return propelled him to get involved in environmental work, and to use photography as his tool, interview

Q: Photographs are like statistics, a constant test of resolution and endurance. The images the come across are regard to dignity of others, their courage, patience and endurance, can you reflect on this?
Andarge: The legacy of photography is irreplaceable. Photography, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful of the arts.  Photographs create history and bring us closer to one another.

To be a photographer is a responsibility and a privilege for me.

Q: Are you pleased with the responses you are getting from "Ethiopia from the Heart"? The words that come to mind are keep loving, keep believing, keep serving, keep forgiving, is this the manner the rebirth can take place?
Andarge: The reactions to "Ethiopia from the Heart" are incredible and heart-warming.  I receive email on a regular basis from enthusiastic people that have deep feeling for the images in the book. They may have worked in Ethiopia in the Peace Corps., Doctors Without Borders, etc. 

They want to return to Ethiopia to visit after seeing the images and reliving fond memories they had of Ethiopia and Ethiopian people, even though they were there during troubled times.  When I read the comments left in the guest book from my last Exhibition, attendees commented how they wanted to travel to Ethiopia after seeing the photographs. 

This is exactly the impression that I want to give to people. I want hope and joy.  I want my images to connect to my mission, the environmental movement and the world. If more people experience the richness of Ethiopia and all it has to offer, then finding support to plant trees becomes much easier.

Q: You journeyed "home" to Ethiopia after 27 years to capture the land of your childhood. What prompted you to return, emotional impact, and was it homecoming or a long hard road home?
Andarge: Going back home was long overdue. The previous government, made it difficult for me to return home.  I was excited to go back and relive my old memories and to photograph the vivid images in my mind.

I didn’t know what to expect since I was an adolescent when I left. When I discovered that my memories were not actualities, frustration and despair set in.

Once I worked though my feelings and rediscovered the wealth that my country offered, the "Ethiopia from the Heart" project was born.

Q: What was the inspiration for the book "Ethiopia from the Heart"?
Andarge: A lot of things were responsible for the book project.
Sharing the richness and beauty of the land and people of Ethiopia with the world was foremost. Next, the concept that I could raise funds through book sales for tree plating was another.  And finally as a photographer born in Ethiopia, I felt responsible to compile this work so that the story could be told from an Ethiopian perspective.

Q: But now the land of your childhood is threatening to disappear due to deforestations. What do you propose to do?
Andarge:  We need to influence the way people think. You have to modify old habits to be sustainable as a country and within individual communities.  Greed needs to stop.  NGO’s along with government agencies need to work together to find solutions to this crisis. Environmental laws need to be created, implemented, and enforced. Alternatives to burning wood for fuel need to be introduced, communities need to be trained and trees have to be planted and preserved.

Q: On the occasion of exhibition of your photographs you presented also an in depth look at Ethiopia and the challenges it faces, which are those challenges?
Andarge: Nowadays, even industrial countries are facing a lot of challenges, not just Ethiopia. 

As an artist, I stand for what I believe in. The environment has been tampered with by man and must be healed by man.

Q: There are no words or description to accompany the photographs in your book. Words that come to mind are "Loud and more loud the living music floats upon the air, desire for beauty, grace, and tranquility in surroundings, tuning in to the emotions and needs of people around you". Did you intended it this way?
Andarge: The main reason I did not include captions is because I wanted people to view this work unencumbered by words. Art is about developing your own interpretation of the work.  The locations and titles of each image can be found on the last page of the book.

I am a visual person and my words are my images. I do have a message about these images, but each image is a part of the whole. In this information age, a lot of people seem to feel uncomfortable about the lack of words in "Ethiopia from the Heart".  My editor Donna T. Jones says, this is a visual journey, if you give everything away, there is no mystery or sense of curiosity.

Q: A strong tea takes a long time to sleep but also time to wake up to its full potential, what is the way forward for Ethiopia? 
Andarge: In regards to the environmental crisis in Ethiopia, things happen a bit slower. As I said, it isn’t only Africa now.  Everyone is moving too slow. We globally have to care, unite and love our world. Deforestation destroys species, degrades land, causes flooding, changes the climate and destroys livelihoods. Burning wood for cooking and heating is often unhealthy to mothers and their young children who inhale the smoke.

Plain and simple, Ethiopians need new energy resources, such as solar cookers and/or cookers that use less wood and are more efficient.  A closer look at individual communities and what each one can contribute is the most logical way to proceed.  You start with educating children and adults alike in how to be better stewards of the land, whether they own it or not. Using the wisdom of our ancestors while at the same time using smarter renewable energy solutions, will give us the least amount of impact on the earth.

Q: Another thought while viewing your photographs is "marching to a personal rhythm, experimenting with genuine self-expression, being in contact with the purest and highest part of your being provides the impetus for fresh expressions in both art and life". Would you like to share some of your experiences in photography?
Andarge: I have to communicate with my subjects on a spiritual level. My philosophy about my photography is to communicate the essence of my subjects in the best way that I can.  My art and life are one.  You believe in something and try to live it. You hope to make change. Taking a photograph makes me feel complete because of the ability to share it with others. 

In this way, I thereby connect to people that I would otherwise not be connected to. 

In terms of sharing my experiences in photography, "Ethiopia from the Heart" is the ultimate expression of what my art has come to at this stage in my life. 

I have shared my soul and that is the truth.

Q: Also words like "keen awareness of the dance of life, forging links and bonds with others, experiencing a sense of belonging, nostalgia and happy memories, making use of  collective or group energies, bringing them together for maximum benefit and mutual enjoyment".  Where to from here?
Andarge: My next project is a continuation of "Ethiopia from the Heart". I will be looking for new ways to get my images and message out to the world.  It may be a book, exhibition or a multimedia compilation, but I will keep moving forward.

Q: We find beauty in the wonders of nature. Beauty offers us a symphony of colors with every sunrise and sunset and reveals to us her brash power through a storm at sea. She lives among the poor, as well as the rich, and appears in the faces of the young and the old. She is at home in the city, as well as the country, decorating skylines as well as landscapes. She is the ultimate shape shifter. Beauty knows no bounds, and we can find her everywhere. All we have to do is look for beauty, and she is there. Where did you meet beauty in Ethiopia?
Andarge: Everywhere.  Physical beauty is found in the countryside more so than in the cities.  However, even among the most depleted and impoverished regions, there is a sense of pride.  Addis was frustrating to see, but hope is always found in the eyes of children.  Older people sometimes lose hope.  Hope is also found when a plant comes up through the pavement. 
The Ethiopian culture is humble and their hearts are full and giving.  That is beauty to me.

Q: You say there is a story behind every image, would you like to share – one?
Andarge: There is an image in the book entitled "Running in the Field".  It is an image of children running in a wheat field with an older sibling watching them. I love this image and it reminds me of how innocent and free children are when they are playing and laughing. It is also comforting that they are being watched and they are safe. It feels tranquil since the sun is setting.  It feels as though they are unaware of my presence. In reality these children were running like mad to come and see whom this crazy visitor with a camera was!

Q: There’s a poetic experience coming here and understanding what simple life is all about, being in touch with nature, how people live by little means, with absolutely no electricity, simple farming… Is there any endeavor to get people into villages to realize the beauty of Ethiopia – to reconnect with a simpler, slower way of life  - and experience a change in aspirations?
Andarge: Absolutely, you can appreciate Ethiopia’s beauty in many ways by traveling to Ethiopia with a tour or simply going to tourist destinations yourself and interacting with the people directly.  I conduct Cultural and Landscape Photo Tours to Ethiopia in Partnership with Ethiopian Airlines. 

There tours are fantastic.  Ethiopia is old beyond imagination.  That’s what makes it so powerful.  It’s culture and traditions date back over 3,000 years.  On the Photo tours attendees can experience Ethiopia firsthand while learning how to create gorgeous, meaningful photographs no matter what their level of experience is or what kind of camera that they own. 

I teach photography in the US and it inspires me to be a lifelong learner myself.

Q: Mediums and ideologies define the boundaries of works of art. How can art bring about change, change hearts and reach beyond?
Andarge: All art forms reach out to the depths of your soul. Without art, what is life? I am using art to get my message out. 

It is a message of awareness, the beauty of life, and the beauty of Ethiopia.

Q: A portion of the profits from your book "Ethiopia from the heart" funds the planting project and distribution of energy efficient cookers in the critical region in Ethiopia, please elaborate
Andarge: "Ethiopia from the Heart" has evolved into a lifelong endeavor. I am waiting for approval of a non-profit organization dedicated to this project specifically.  Myself and a board of creative professionals have created "Canopy Ethiopia". Restoring the canopy in Ethiopia will remove millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reduce erosion, bring plant and animal life into balance and renew livelihoods.

Educating citizens on sustainability, particularly those who have relied on wood products for their daily needs for years, is a key element in protecting young trees that have been planted. Canopy Ethiopia’s extended mission is to fund the distribution of energy efficient cookers in critical regions of Ethiopia so that existing forests will be preserved.

Q: You are operating a successful commercial photography studio F-stop Studio. Any interesting undertaking in making you wish to share?
Andarge: F/STOP is promoting "Ethiopia from the Heart" via exhibitions and lectures, pursuing the tree-planting mission, running photo safaris to Ethiopia and conducting other photo excursions in the US.  We continue to reach new clients and work with established ones.  We’re eager to work with non-profits and others fighting for their own causes.  After years in the photo industry wearing many hats, we don’t want to separate our art and personal goals from our commercial life.

The future is full of promise.

Q: Tell us a bit about your self, your every day life and in what setting do you work, which achievement is of special importance?
Andarge: My life is about networking and creative endeavors that will reach more people interested in bettering the world. 

Q: Final thoughts, message, invitations….
Andarge: I appreciate this opportunity to share my work and mission with this community.  I wish you and everyone reading this the best in life and hope everyone can achieve their own dreams.

Thank you.

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