Efie Gallery presents a new series of photographs by Ethiopian artist Aïda Muluneh from 17 January – 5 April 2026 . This is the artist’s second solo exhibition at the gallery and features over 10 works that have never been seen before.
Throughout her 25-year career, Muluneh has been a distinctive voice in contemporary photography recognised as a leader in her field and as a change – maker in Africa. Her vivid and carefully staged photographs of painted figures in surreal settings draw on African iconography, architecture and textiles to create visual narratives that blur the boundaries between photography, painting and performance.

To create the works in this exhibition – which were shot at the artist’s studio in Abidjan using painted backdrops and a cast of body-painted models – Muluneh has developed an experimental process that bridges photography and printmaking, hand-finishing each work in collaboration with artisans in the UAE. Through silkscreen printing and hand-painting techniques, she transforms each photograph into a unique object that is tactile, layered and painterly in texture.

The works are characterised by bold geometric compositions and recurring symbols such as eyes, keys, masks, flowers, and ancestral motifs, mostly rendered in striking primary colours. They continue Muluneh’s ongoing enquiry into ideas of identity, womanhood and heritage through a lens of material experimentation. Highly stylised and meticulously crafted, the works on view show both Muluneh’s mastery of photography and her ability to continue innovating.