Born and based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Maheder Haileselassie is a self- taught visual artist/documentary photographer whose work is deeply rooted in the lived experiences of herself and of people she encounters.
Through her lens, Maheder explores themes of history, identity and communal issues drawing connections between past archives and imagined futures. Her work follows an open-ended and immersive approach, bridging the documentary and conceptual realms while emphasizing an Ethiopian perspective.
She has won The Seydou Keita Grand Prize at the 14th edition of Rencontres de Bamako and also CAP Prize, Contemporary African Photography Prize for her project Between Yesterday and Tomorrow, a series that examines history, personal and collective memories.
This year, Maheder was selected as #BBC100women for the work she produced on the link between early marriage and climate change in Somali region, Ethiopia.
She is also the founder and director of the Center for Photography in Ethiopia (CPE), an independent learning platform that supports emerging photographers through mentorship, exhibitions, and critical discussions.