Mobile Photography Intimate Interview with Amado Ergana from Ethiopia, Africa

I was starting kindergarten when the fight between Ethiopia and Eritrea broke. The war was very much propagandised, almost everything I remember at that stage of my life was about the war. Music, news, conversation among elders and even our game play was about it. We used to make guns out of false banana trees and fought among each other, which is followed by war songs. And my aspiration was nothing more than my favorite game, to be a solider.

I was not a fast learner when I was a kid but I always managed to get the passing score and at some point, teachers have suggested I should repeat certain classes but my parents let me proceed. And before third grade my uncle tutored me for the whole summer and gave me some advises. I stood first that year and won a book. It was a trilling experience.

I wasn’t given any job as I was the youngest of the family until I had a little brother, then I joined my siblings on being my brother’s and house keeper after school until mom returns from night classes. The job was simple to keep the house the same, clean and quite for two hours. We almost failed every time.

My father is strict when it comes to education but at the same time, he wanted us close to home. Therefore, whatever private school that is within a kilometer radius is where the whole family go. I guess that is why we have attended only two schools until high school graduation.

University. Landing a job is much harder than pursuing collage in Ethiopia and I think that is why it is not customary in my community to go to full time work especially if you have passed the national university entrance examination. Universities are almost free and the country has huge unemployment rate.

I don’t have mentor per se but I always had people who inspired me. I have two milestones in my journey of discovering art. The first was before high school graduation. a good friend of mine showed me how to cut out pictures on Adobe Photo shop, which had become my way into the world of design. And second during my senior year at college, I interned at an advertising agency as a graphic designer where I met a fellow photographer who introduced me to street photography.

I have always worked out since high school. I even had some weights to workout with at my home but as schedules get tighter, gym has become a leisure. However, I do still workout now and then. I sustain on long walks I have each day.

I believe everything is learnable. Talent just reduces the learning curve. But you don’t learn if you don’t have the drive. the desire to know or the determination for your goal. So definitely Ambition goes a long way when it comes to success.

Ethiopia has ethnic based politics so by default you are forced to choose a side, especially since the past four years. Ethiopia had number of up rises that over threw governments in history. we virtually had one last year. The turmoil among the ethnic extremists and the nationalists kept the country unstable. I try to advocate the later in my social circle.

Currently I do street photography using my phone but lately I’ve a growing interest for travel photography. There are scenes I would like to recreate that are stuck in my mind since forever. So I would like to own professional cameras and maybe a drone to assist me with the production.

It has not reached “extravagance” level yet but I think printing of my art works is a front-runner.

It is not a place but rather a setting. As the day is getting over and the sun rushes into the horizon, walking down slowly across the busy streets feeling fulfilled about my day ………… huhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that’s the life.

Graphic design. I always had a thing for visual art and didn’t pursue it as I should have. I have a great ambition for vector and 3D illustrations. I do try some from time to time but not enough. I’ve collected some resources on the subjects and hopefully will start working on them very soon.

Photography has never been a way of searching an answer, well at least not until now, but rather a filter for my questions. It is my way of taping into the unconscious mind. May be that is where my drive for art comes from, life questions.

I don’t think I have achieved my greatest yet but graduating college on 2017 comes close second.

I don’t feel comfortable around people who are cocky.

definitely he will not be surprised

Not an object but I wish I still could believe, on some subjects, without a question like I used too. I’ve come to understand that not every question has an answer and not every answer is fulfilling.

Social media. It is morphing nations culture and people perception in unexpected way at an accelerating pace and I don’t think anyone has the tool to control it.

I do, there are some people I would like to see again.