Girma Berta is an award winning young artist based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Born in 1990, Berta is a self-taught photographer whose work fuses street photography with fine art.
In Berta’s Moving Shadows series I and II, solitary figures are juxtaposed against vibrant backgrounds, creating truly unique artworks which exemplify the contrasting colours and personalities on the streets of his home town. Berta’s use of digital media, to produce and present his artworks, is in itself a commentary on the digital revolution underway across Africa. He represents the vibrancy of the millennial African.
Berta describes the motivation behind his work as a wish to capture “the beautiful, the ugly and all that is in between”. His images delve deep into the soul of the city, offering his remarkable interpretation.
Berta’s work has been featured in publications such as The Guardian, Okay Africa, Design Indaba, The Huffington Post, Instagram, NPR and Art Africa Magazine. He was selected to participate in the New York Times Portfolio Review 2017, and shortlisted as a finalist for the CAP Prize 2017.
His works have been exhibited at La Gacilly Photo Festival (2017), Nataal / Red Hook Labs NY (2017), Cape Town Art Fair (2017), PhotoVille NY (2016, 2015), Look Festival (2016), 1:54 Contemporary Art Fair London (2016), Also Known as Africa Art Fair Paris (2016) and Bamako Photo Fest (2015).
Berta is the recipient of the Getty Images Instagram Award 2016.