About
Born and raised in Ethiopia, Hilina Abebe is a self-taught documentary photographer inspired by her father’s black-and-white family photographs from the 1960s and ’70s. Her work explores economic inequality, identity, faith, history, and the significance of memory through long-form documentary and portraiture. With a background in journalism and social work, she brings a nuanced perspective to her storytelling, exploring the complexities of human experience.
Hilina is an alumna of the Eddie Adams Workshop XXIX and has participated in the New York Times Portfolio Review (2016) and the World Press Photo East Africa Masterclass. She has also been nominated for the Joop Swart Masterclass and PDN’s 30.
Her work has been published by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Guardian, Terra Mater Magazin, Departures, New Internationalist, as well as organizations such as WHO, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Fairtrade Germany.
Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Hilina continues to document stories, driven by a deep commitment to visual storytelling and social impact.
Awards
Eddie Adams Workshop XXIX Nikon Award. 2016
Nominations
PDN’s 30. New and Emerging Photographers to Watch. 2020
World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass. 2020
World Press Photo 6×6 Global Talent Program. 2018
PDN’s 30. 2017
World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass. 2017
Exhibitions
Trefoldighetskirken. The Church Forests of Ethiopia. 2023. Oslo. Norway
PhMuseum. Still We Rise. 2021. Online Exhibit
Duke University. Rubenstein Arts Center. When I say Africa. 2020
Black Art Matters. Contemporary Black Photography. 2020. Zurich. Switzerland
Photo Schweiz. 2020. Zurich. Switzerland
Kolkata International Photography Festival (KIPF). 2019. Kolkata. India
Photoville. 2018. New York. USA
Lumix Festival. 2018. Hanover. Germany
Nuku Photo Festival. 2018. Accra. Ghana
African Lens. 2018. Accra. Ghana
Festival Pil’Ours. 2017. Saint Gilles. France
Photoville. 2016. New York. USA
World Press Freedom Day. 2016. Helsinki. Finland
Dak’Art Biennale. 2016. Dakar. Senegal
Photoville. 2015. New York. USA
Addis Foto Fest. 2014. Addis Ababa. Ethiopia
Commissioned/Published Work
The New York Times. “The Other Way Covid Will Kill: Hunger”
The Wall Street Journal. “Sometimes They’re Angry With Us and That’s OK’: Boeing and 737 MAX Families Form Painful Partnership”
The Wall Street Journal. “Capital Improvements: Addis Ababa Takes New Shape”
The Wall Street Journal. “Ethiopia’s Young, New Leader Shakes Up One-Party System”
National Geographic. “These Black Women Photographers Are Carving Out a Place in History”
Departures Magazine. “When Tragedy Isn’t the Only Story To Tell”
World Health Organization. “Supporting Kangaroo Mother Care in Ethiopia“; “New WHO publications on Kangaroo Mother Care”
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “The link between women’s health and women’s economic power”
Fairtrade Germany. “Toom expands Fairtrade plant range”
Greenpeace. “10 women and the world through their lens”
Norwegian Church Aid. “Availing Space for Adolescent Girls“; “A Story of Faith For Water“; “The School Without Toilet; A Community in Siraro Effects Change on FGM”
Panorama Nyhetter. “Churches and mosques with Norwegian-supported forestry investment in Ethiopia“; “The Director of Norway’s forest initiative is a former Climate Advisers employee”
Press and Media
The Guardian. “Women Behind the Lens”
CNN African Voices Changemakers. “Ethiopia shoe shine girl: one mother’s struggle is an unlikely story of hope”
VOA Africa. “Picture Africa with Hilina Abebe”
PH Museum. “Ethiopia in the USA”
World Press Photo. “Meet the Masterclass East Africa: Hilina Abebe ; Four To Follow #7”
Black + White Magazine. “An Act of Faith”
Musee Magazine. “Black History Month: Hilina Abebe”
Black Culture Movement. “Hilina Abebe”
People’s Stories Project. “Photographer Hilina Abebe Takes A Bird’s Eye View”
Blind Magazine. “The Rising Stars of Ethiopian Photography”
Ethiopia Observer. “Ethiopian photographer captures communities undergoing changes”
Focus. “Diversity In Photography: 5 Black Photographers To Watch”