Born in the heart of Addis Ababa—Arada—my roots lie in one of the city’s oldest and most storied neighborhoods. Arada is not just a place; it's a pulse, a rhythm of early Addis where art, music, and culture first found their voice. That voice shaped mine.

My illustrations are a reflection of that world: colorful, nostalgic, and woven into the everyday life of Addis. Each piece tells a story—through memories, through emotion, and through the layered textures of a city that raised me.

In my early twenties, I left the warmth of Addis for the quiet solitude of Finland. It was a time of contrast: between noise and silence, community and isolation, sunlight and snowfall. Through my work, I try to hold onto those vivid moments from Addis—the colours, the characters, the corners of a city that never truly leaves you.

Sometimes, I wonder what my twenties would have looked like if I had stayed in Addis. These illustrations are my way of answering that question.

"Arada taught me how to see beauty in the ordinary—this work is my way of remembering, reimagining, and returning."