To upend perceptions of race, Aida Muluneh explores face-painting traditions and masks

THE WASHINGTON POST
By Aida Muluneh

“City Life.” (Photographs by Aida Muluneh)

My journey began in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in the midst of a revolution that overthrew a 2,000-year-old monarchy and eventually led many of us into an exodus of uncertainty. Increasingly, I was finding traditional forms of artistic expression — in music or visual arts — more exciting and innovative than contemporary art pieces. When I create my photographs I am responding to the many images of war, suffering and hate that bombard us daily. And my own efforts underscore my belief that as Africans we must be part of the creation of images that tell the story of a continent in transition between past, present and future through our own authentic voices and lenses. Her work is featured in “Being: New Photography 2018,” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York through Aug. 19. [More]