Hanna Leka is a first generation Ethiopian American and self-taught photographer currently based in Washington, DC. Her introduction to image making was in taking painting and drawing lessons for 7 years of her childhood in Orange County, California.
Image making later evolved from the canvas to the camera and with humans with her Ethiopian roots being at the center of her interests, she has done conceptual projects that explore revelations of beauty and explain the nuances of the East African diaspora.
Hanna’s work currently explores the subtle and profound relationships between identity, culture, and migration. Her origins in the quiet suburbs of Irvine, California rooted under the upbringings of an Ethiopian household has brought about contemplation on the nuance of Eastern cultures that move within Western contexts. Hanna holds her efforts towards photojournalism as a vehicle to bridge gaps and unravel truth on cultures and communities that are misunderstood and underrepresented in Western media. Her frequent visits to Ethiopia have informed her on-going efforts to document the presence of Ethiopian culture and social life within the United States.
Hanna is a graduate of George Washington University’s New Media and Photojournalism masters program and holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of California, Riverside. Her work has been displayed in exhibitions across Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C. and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and has also appeared in The Washington Post, El Pais, DAZED and more.
Contact: hanniimages@gmail.com
Tel: +1(619)-565-4352