ENTRY DESCRIPTION
A girl waits to lead her blind grandfather home from the church of Maryam Wukro, one of the oldest cave churches in Ethiopia. Intricately hollowed out by hand from solid rock, the cavernous interior provides a cool spiritual respite for pilgrims from the valleys far below. Most of the churches date back to the 6th century AD. Some, like Maryam Wukro, are thought to be older still, linked to the kingdom of Saba in Arabia and the famous city of Petra through the spice trade, their origins lost before the birth of Christ.

‘Marks of Devotion’ is a series of images that explores Orthodox Christian practices in Ethiopia. Although the country is modernising rapidly, ancient traditions remain strong. I was drawn to the people’s silent contemplation of holy spaces, and the way in which they demonstrate their devotion by permanently marking their bodies and the landscape with religious icons. I begun this photography project in 2009, when I first moved to Ethiopia’s capital Addis Abeba, and have been returning ever since, spending time in the monasteries and villages.

AUTHOR
Natalia is a photographer and content producer. For the last 15 years she has documented social and environmental issues for the United Nations, the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and various development and wildlife conservation NGO’s through photography, text, and video.

Her work has taken her from her home in Australia to Europe, Central America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and, finally, Africa, where she has been based in Kenya for the last ten years.

A former radio presenter and producer for SBS Australia, Natalia studied media and communications at the University of NSW, where she specialised in journalism and audio-visual production.

She has collaborated on a range of media projects with organisations including: UNEP, UNOCHA, UNDP, UN - WTO, Oxfam, World Vision, Nutrition International, CNN, MSNBC, Deutsche Welle, Daily Telegraph (UK), Columbia University, Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation, Unilever, Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

She never travels anywhere without her camera and coffee-making kit.

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