Aïda Muluneh
Redefining African Futures through Colour, Culture and Collective Agency
Born in Addis Ababa in 1974, Aïda Muluneh is an Ethiopian-born visual artist, educator and cultural entrepreneur whose work actively reshapes global perceptions of Africa. Her striking photographs—bursting with primary hues and symbolic body painting—interrogate colonial narratives, celebrate African identity, and envision a resilient future for creatives across the continent.
A Visual Language of Resilience and Belonging
Muluneh begins each image as though planning a film: she designs characters, sets, costumes and lighting to distil cinematic narratives in single frames. Her symbolic use of colour—bold reds, blues and yellows—draws from Ethiopian church murals and evokes emotional depth and national pride. Through body painting and geometric staging, she disrupts reductive depictions and reframes the African woman as sovereign and mythical.
Networks for African Storytellers
In 2010 Muluneh founded Addis Foto Fest—the inaugural international photography festival in East Africa—creating a major platform for emerging artists to exhibit, learn, and connect across borders. More recently, she launched Africa Foto Fair in Abidjan, a festival and virtual publication designed to serve grassroots creatives, especially in working-class communities, alongside workshops in photography, ethics and financial literacy.
Her studio also houses Africa Print House, a high-standard print facility offering fine-art production services across West and East Africa, addressing gaps in creative infrastructure.
Advocacy, Education and Institutional Influence
Muluneh’s photographs are held in major institutions including MoMA (New York), the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, Tate Modern and other global venues, affirming her influence within global art circles
In 2019 she became the first Black woman to co-curate the Nobel Peace Prize Exhibition and returned in 2020 as commissioned photographer, producing a series emphasising hunger as a weapon of war—melding activism and artistic vision
She has served as a juror for prestigious awards such as the Sony World Photography Awards and World Press Photo, and speaks regularly at international forums including Art Basel and the World Press Photo Festival
Vision & Enduring Influence
Aïda Muluneh illustrates that photography can be deeply political, deeply poetic—anchoring African identity in the visible present while nurturing what comes next. She envisions a future where African creatives are not just visible but authoritative. Through her imagery and institutional work, she invites a new generation to tell their own stories—with colour, courage and conviction.